Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

It was our hopeful time of night and everyone was leaving their half-moon shaped, corrugated, galvanized steel, 20 x 48 feet Quonset huts which we called “our hooches” that were a warm 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After making our way to our...

School Celebrations in the Everett School District What a wonderful time of year to express our thankfulness and celebrate the great happenings around us. We have some amazing things going on in our schools in the Mill Creek area. Performance Jackson...

Dear Editor, Passing the $470 million school bond is integral to the future success of our town. The Snohomish School District school buildings are over 40 years old and, while our teachers do the best they can to provide an excellent education to...

I was rummaging through the universal hall closet the other day, which in my case was an actual closet. In your case, it could be something else. You’ve got one, though. It could be an envelope or a storage locker. It might be an attic or a basemen...

A recent story about the Kroger supermarket group (Fred Meyer, QFC, Ralphs, and many others) is quite interesting. About 94% of Kroger revenue comes from food stores, so this announcement is a really big deal. Now when you read through what...

Honoring our Veterans Thank you to everyone who took the time to honor our veterans on Veterans Day. It is important to thank all those who have enlisted in the military, both in times of war and in peace. There may not have been a United States of A...

Does the name Doug Forcett ring a bell? I’m not suggesting it should. I had to look it up, and I’m writing this thing. Doug Forcett is a minor character on the NBC sitcom “The Good Place,” which is now in its fourth and final season. I kept h...

On a yearly basis our city leaders are consistent with their formal rollout “thank you” to our city staff members and volunteers, but after doing their duty they go on with their daily Mill Creek jobs. One’s outlook and drive are often molded...

I know this column will register with all of the readers. This week, I’d like to describe how our society is being transformed in how we communicate. Let’s start with e-mail. In the distant past (circa 1972 or so), the Merit Computer Network was...

Snohomish County Fire District 7 wants to thank everyone who cast a ballot in the recent election. Turnout was low, and the outcome for our fire levy lid lift was not as we’d hoped. However, we appreciate everyone who participated in the process.... Full story

Well, it was a fun 66 days with Mill Creek. Unfortunately, my time as editor has come to an end as I transition over to the Mukilteo Beacon. This was my first time working with a council-manager type of government and much was learned about the ways...

OK, I’m prepared to get hammered by you Starbucks devotees. It’s the price of being counter cyclical. Why do I say “who needs them?” Here’s why: I get the Seattle grunge movement. You only have to live in Seattle (for us, 13 years this...

As the new superintendent of Everett Public Schools, I am pleased to have the opportunity to connect with Mill Creek and Bothell families that are so important to our district. I am starting my sixth month and am excited about what I have seen and...

As Director of the Snohomish County Office of Public Defense, I am proud of the work public defenders do for the accused and underprivileged. It is from that place that I concernedly write about representations made by Anna Alexander, candidate for...

I was disturbed to read a Oct. 24 letter to the editor regarding Anna Alexander, running for Superior Court Judge against incumbent Judge Edirin Okoloko. Ms. Alexander is portrayed as a champion of victims. I worked in the Snohomish County...

I support retaining Judge Edirin Okoloko for Superior Court Judge.  I am a retired victim advocate who worked with domestic violence and sexual assault victims, survivors, and family members for 31 years in Snohomish County.  I have had the...

It was another grayish darkened day as they waited in the soupy muddy, varmint infested four-foot-wide trenches. Their hearts beating faster and faster as they waited for the sergeant’s whistle to blow, telling it was time to go over the head-high...

I should just take the week off. I don’t know anything about Halloween. Apparently I was sick the day they explained it. I understand the basics. I remember some fun Halloweens as a kid, going trick-or-treating as Zorro, as Superman, as a robot, an...

Our family has known John Steckler and his family as a neighbor, fellow cub/boy scout parents, and friends since 2002 after moving into the Parkside neighborhood of Mill Creek. We have observed and sometimes worked alongside John and his wife, Lisa....

Kim Goldman had brought extensive notes for a prepared speech she was going to give at the Hope Within Luncheon, a fundraiser for Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County that’s held annually during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. But...

If anyone said, “Give me 50% of your money and I will take care of you,” you'd be skeptical and ask a lot of questions. Between the School Board, Fire District, cities, county, state, federal government, and a multitude of other taxing...

Our family has been victimized in a very personal way—our home was broken into, our personal effects ransacked, and irreplaceable, meaningful pieces of our family history, passed down to us from our dearly beloved grandparents, stolen. The...

I have known John Steckler personally for over 30 years and believe without a shadow of doubt that he is the best choice for Position 1 on the Mill Creek City Council. John is one of the hardest working and most conscientious people I know. He...