I won’t go in to all the reasons why I’ve decided to stop writing for MLTnews but the main reason is that I have a wife and two little girls who need my time and attention.

Thank you to all the readers who have sent in story tips, commented on stories and supported the site and thank you to all of the local businesses who have advertised on MLTnews.

What’s going to happen to MLTnews.com?

Since I write 95% of the content on MLTnews.com, own the site, and provide all the back end support my absence will mean that the site is essentially shutting down. I will keep it online for the time being as an archive but the future is uncertain.

If you or someone you know has an interest in continuing what I started by acquiring MLTnews, get a hold of me.

Dustin DeKoekkoek
(Former) MLTnews.com Editor

What became immediately clear was that Jerry Smith is the driving force behind Tour de Terrace and there’s a good chance that the festival would not happen without him.

“If Jerry disappeared tomorrow, it would probably all just fall apart,” said Bonnie Mercer.

Tour de Terrace started 19 years ago as a way to celebrate the City of Mountlake Terrace’s 40th birthday. Smith, who had been president of the Mountlake Terrace Youth Athletic Association (MTYAA), was one of the for individuals who got together to plan the event. The City wasn’t in a position to run or pay for the festivities at the time so Smith and the others decided to go ahead and plan the event with sponsorship from the MTYAA. The four decided on the name “Tour de Terrace”.

There have been some rumors out there that Smith personally makes as much as $250,000 each year from the festival. With all the money coming in from the carnival, the car show, beer garden and food vendors one might think that someone is making a few bucks. Smith says he spent $178 out of his own pocket to have a logo designed that first year. When all was said and done that first year expenses were $3,500 more than the income. Jerry Smith paid the difference, never being reimbursed. The second year the deficit was $9,700. Again, Smith paid the difference. Since then Smith says that he has spent tens of thousands of dollars of his own money on equipment and services in support of the annual festival.

Tour de Terrace had always rented tents for vendors to use at the festival until nine years ago when the rental company stopped offering tents. Smith says he shopped around and there was no way that Tour de Terrace was going to have enough money with the available rental rates. Instead, Smith went to his bank and took out a personal loan so that he could purchase tents to use at the festival. Every year Smith loans the tents to the festival for free.

While the amount of money coming in for the festival varies each year, the organizers say that the income is generally around $30,000-$40,000. The sources of income are booth fees for food, arts and craft, and business vendors, a percentage of the sales at the carnival, fees for the car show, profit from the beer garden and a couple of other minor sources. Some of the larger expenses are around $6,500 for music/bands, $3,000 for sound, $9,000 for insurance, and $5,000 for toilets. Add in permit fees, waste disposal and a handfull of other expenses and you can see that it appears as if no one, especially not Jerry Smith, is making a fortune from Tour de Terrace.

On Saturday, 10-22-2011 at 9:59 PM Officer Chapel observed a black motorcycle southbound on 48th Ave W with an obstructed license plate. He attempted to stop the vehicle, which failed to yield for several blocks before finally stopping. Investigation revealed the motorcycle was a reported stolen out of the City of Everett. The 44 year old Mountlake Terrace man was arrested for possession of stolen property, driving while license suspended, and an outstanding warrant for contempt of court. He was booked at the Snohomish County Jail.

On 8-12-2011, Code Enforcement received a MLT Anytime request regarding a property near the 22700 block of Lakeview Drive involving a junk inoperable vehicle. The reporting party indicated she has attempted to use the homeowners association in this development, but has not had success. Officer Jenkins arrived and observed a white Chevy sedan filled with debris having an expired license and front end damage. He mailed a Notice of Violation to the property owner for City ordinance violations; 8.15.050.B.1 – All motor vehicles that are junk, inoperable or unused for 30 days or more shall be stored inside a fully enclosed structure, 8.15.050.C – All stored vehicles must be maintained in a clean and safe manner, .I – Debris and trash accumulations prohibited. On 8-22-2011, Officer Jenkins received a call from the property owner’s son who advised they are looking into options to donate the vehicle to charity. On 9-7-2011, Officer Jenkins spoke with the property owner who indicated they have filed for lost title for Chevy, which may take several weeks. On 9-20-2011, Officer Jenkins responded to another complaint regarding the inoperable vehicle. Officer Jenkins explained the code enforcement process and potential time frame for resolution of this case. On 10-7-2011, he was contacted by the property owner stating the inoperable vehicle and any debris has been permanently removed from the property.

Management Analyst Joie Worthen recently completed a training course in Criminal Investigative Analysis, conducted by The Alpha Group Center for Crime and Intelligence Analysis. This training included a one week long session in Seattle, countless hours of study sessions, followed by two separate exams. She will be able to review crime trends, to assist in directing enforcement, and predict where crime might occur in the future.

On Wednesday, 10-19-11, a team of accreditation experts from the Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs’ (WASPC) were at the City of Mountlake Terrace Police Department reviewing 140 policies and procedures as well as proofs to ensure that our Police Department is following state law, federal law, and best practices. They found we were 100 percent compliant with all 140 standards. The team will make a recommendation that we become accredited to the Accreditation committee at the WASPC fall conference in November.

Saturday October 29, 2011, 1-2pm or 2:30-3:30pm.

The Mountlake Terrace Library is located at 23300 58th Ave. W next to old City Hall.

Questions? Contact Dawn at 360-651-7069 or teens@sno-isle.org.

Evening programs will share the goals of the program and show adults how they can support the efforts of the students. The community is welcome to join us at any one of the following sessions:

Monday, Oct. 24: 7 p.m. at Brier Terrace Middle School, 22200 Brier Road, Brier, 98036.
Tuesday, Oct. 25: 7 p.m. at College Place Middle School, 7501 208th St. SW, Lynnwood, 98036.
Wednesday, Oct. 26: 7 p.m. at Meadowdale High School, 6002 168th St. SW, Lynnwood, 98037.
Thursday, Oct. 27: 7 p.m. at Edmonds-Woodway High School, 7600 212th St. SW, Edmonds, 98026.

The following week, seven elementary schools are holding day assemblies and versions of the program geared toward the younger age group. Rachel’s Challenge in the Edmonds School District was made possible thanks to the support of the Hazel Miller Foundation and the Edmonds Public Schools Foundation.

“All You Can Eat” CRAB FEAST Sunday, October 23rd serving from 2 PM to 6 PM.

The Mountlake Terrace Senior Center presents their annual Crab Feast at the Nile Temple, Red Room, 6601 244th St SW, Mountlake Terrace. Music, door prizes, drawings, fun for everyone. Adults $25, Children 5-12 years $15, tickets available at the door. Your participation benefits the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center, for info call 425-672-2407.

Looking for a “spooktacular” haunted house close to home? The Nile Golf Course and Country Club, located just next door to Edmonds at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Highway 104, is sponsoring a haunted house for the next two weekends — Friday-Sunday, Oct. 21-23 and Thursday-Halloween, Oct. 27-31. It’s open to the public and children of all ages.

On Oct. 27, the haunted house will sponsor a canned food drive to benefit Northwest Harvest. Bring a can of food (or another non-perishable food item) to receive $2 off your ticket price.

To receive a free gift at the door, wear your costumes any time or “check in” using Facebook on your mobile device.

Hours are 5-7 p.m. for Family Fun and 7-11 p.m. for “Full Scare.” Tickets are $10. Visit www.NileHauntedHouse.com for more information and to purchase your tickets online.

Police ask people to leave items in their original containers and black out any personal information except the name of the medication. Persons dropping off unused medications do not need to provide their name, only ZIP codes for research purposes.

The Snohomish County Partnership for Secure Medicine Disposal provides locations throughout Snohomish County for people to drop off unwanted vitamins, cold medicines, painkillers, inhalers and other medications. For details and hours, call the program information line at (425) 388-3199.

Officials are hopeful that these programs will reduce the number of drug overdoses, accidental poisonings, and people becoming dependent on prescription painkillers. It is also intended to educate people about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

For further information about the program, contact Beth Menstell at (425) 670-8620.

The city is currently scheduling time with its volunteer Boards and Commissions to share the City Finance 101 presentation. Other stakeholder groups in the community such as the Mountlake Terrace Seniors Group and Mountlake Terrace Business Association will also be invited to view the presentation. In addition, city leaders will be available to meet with neighborhood or community groups who want to learn more about these key City Council priorities.

For more information about City Finance 101 or to schedule a presentation, call City Clerk/Community Relations Director Virginia Olsen at (425) 744-6206.