Dozens of Mountlake Terrace community members came together Saturday to combat invasive plants around the Civic Campus and Veterans Memorial Park.
The city counted more than 60 people at the Volunteer Spring Cleanup, including representatives from The Ivy League (an Adopt-A-Park group), MLT Ballinger Organic Garden, the Edmonds Heights robotics team, and Cub Scout Pack 76.
Also at work were Councilmembers Doug McCardle, Erin Murray, Laura Sonmore and Steve Woodard, members of the Recreation and Park Advisory Commission and the Neighborhood Parks Improvement Subcommittee, and a number of city staff.
Additionally, during the event, an Eagle Scout candidate focused on improving disc golf facilities near the Recreation Pavilion.
A Mountlake Terrace tradition, the spring cleanup moved this year from Ballinger Park into the Town Center. This was the 22nd year for the 23-year-old event, as the 2020 gathering was canceled for pandemic reasons.
Saturday’s dedicated volunteers brought tools, family members and lots of energy. Many shared that they were happy to come back together as a community and spend time among neighbors. As they labored, a warm, spring light filtered through the second-growth canopy within the park.
Another area of focus was the sequoia at the northwest corner of the Civic Campus. The city and community members made sure this towering evergreen was preserved during the campus redevelopment project, and the timing seemed right on Saturday to do some weeding.
Afterward, the gathering enjoyed Sorelli Pizza and dessert in the Council Chambers and the Jerry Smith Town Center Plaza, where café tables and chairs recently were placed. They saw much of the public space within the new City Hall, which is on schedule to open its doors as soon as possible, though a few construction items are pending.
For more information about volunteer events and cleanups in Mountlake Terrace, including adopting parks and trails, please contact Parks and Facilities Superintendent Ken Courtmanch at 425-776-1811, kcourtmanch@mltwa.gov.
For more information about Saturday’s event, contact City Clerk Virginia Clough at 425-744-6206, vclough@mltwa.gov.
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Molly Luna, of the Recreation and Park Advisory Commission, weeds alongside her daughter Sadie at the Volunteer Spring Cleanup.