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.

Terrace Ridge Park, located at 4600 242nd Street SW, stretches for six-acres under the power lines on the south end of town.

For more information about the Terrace Ridge Park Conceptual Plan meeting, please call Recreation and Parks Director Don Sarcletti at (425) 640-3104.

Come in and ask about senior activities, programs, and pick up an informative newsletter. Free refreshments provided by the Red Onion.

Families, friends and neighbors are invited to help clean up and clear brush at Ballinger Park from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and give back to the community. This event also coincides with a National “Day of Service” in remembrance of September 11. Volunteers, with gardening gloves and tools, should meet at the Ballinger Park parking lot, 23000 Lakeview Drive, at 9 a.m.

Washington State Representatives Luis Moscoso (1st district) and David Frockt (46th district) engaged with dozens of their constituents to fill the shelves of local food banks. They were joined by staff from the offices of State Representatives Ruth Kagi, Derek Stanford, and Cindy Ryu, and the office of State Senator Scott White.

“As our state economy continues to be impacted by the recession, I’m proud to participate in this event to help put food on the tables of struggling families and individuals. Organizations like Food Lifeline and our local food banks are key to helping provide nutritious food in tough times.” – Representative Luis Moscoso

Challenge participants were able to sort and repack a combined total of nearly 6,700 pounds which provided over 6,000 nutritious meals for hungry people in their communities.

For more information about Hunger Action Month, please visit: www.foodlifeline.org/30ways.

Legislative staff and constituents from three districts helped pack food.

View MLT Garage Sales 9/9-9/11 in a larger map

ParentMap surveyed its readers on the best businesses and resources for kids and families in the Puget Sound area. The pool’s swim lesson program was also voted as a finalist in that category.

Here is the description posted on their web site, “Swim up (or down, in this case) a lazy river at the Mountlake Terrace Pool, which was your top water-play pick for its cool wet and wild features: warm water, spray fun, toys, a padded shallow entry, and that lazy river, which moves kids gently through a water channel and into the main pool. We like the spacious pavilion that houses the facility — there’s plenty of room to spread out — and the pool’s various programs range from swimming lessons to birthday parties to open swim times for all ages. Great instructors, 88-degree pool, large shallow area for toddlers.”

You can get all the details on the award at http://www.parentmap.com/golden-teddy.

The Recreation Pavilion Pool offers year-round aquatics programs like water fitness, learn to swim programs for infants through adults, lap swim, and recreation swims for the whole family. The fall swim schedule will begin on September 6. You can find information on all pool programs at www.mltrec.com.

The Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion was named “Best Pool for Teensy Tots” in 2008 by Seattle Magazine, “Best Place for a Pool Party” by Seattle Metropolitan Magazine and “Best Place to Swim” by ParentMap Magazine.