I am very happy to announce that I am running to keep my seat on the Metro Parks Tacoma board!
Ever since I was appointed to the Park Board in January 2010, I have loved my work with the park district. The quality parks we have are essential to our high quality of life, but during hard economic times even more so, when people are looking for fun activities that are close to home. Making this announcement on my blog is somewhat fitting, since it was the park system that made me want to start blogging back in 2005. During that year Mary, my dad, and I visited every single Metro Parks facility–every playground, every beach, every ball field. It Read more…
An update on the Pagoda …
We got some good information last night at the park board meeting, so it's a good opportunity to relay what we're doing to restore the Pagoda: 1) Last night, my fellow commissioners and I authorized more money to be used to stabilize the building and prevent further damage from occurring. Preventing any further damage is the first priority. 2) I know it's been said elsewhere, but it's worth repeating: insurance will pay to restore the historic nature of the building and to get the Pagoda up to current codes. 3) We'll be working hard through the summer to restore the Read more…
Planning ahead at the zoo …
A series of public meetings this month will help guide the future of the Northwest’s only combined zoo and aquarium. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium officials have set three sessions where community members can discuss the features and animals they’d like to see in the facility’s future. The input will help guide the zoo’s 10 year strategic plan over the next decade. The meetings are: • Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m. at the zoo in Point Defiance Park. • Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Tacoma Nature Center, 1919 South Tyler St., Tacoma • Monday from 4:30-6 p.m. at Metro Parks Headquarters Read more…
Parks Appreciation Day is Saturday!
Saturday is a county-wide Parks Appreciation Day here in Pierce County. Last year more than 2,000 volunteers helped clear trails, comb beaches, and trim limbs. It's going to be a fun morning. Weather is currently calling for showers in the evening, so hopefully that will hold out for us. Here's more information about it if you're interested!
Glad to be back in T-Town
The park conference in DC went off really well. It was the first time I'd been back to the city since I was in high school, and it was fun to be there. We had meetings with our legislators in congress (well, technically, their aides). We called on them in support of the US Paralympics committee, who runs a national program of providing adaptive recreation to wounded warriors in the communities around US military bases. Metro Parks's participation with them helps us to offer sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and other activities, and it's a partnership that the Paralympics uses as Read more…
Swan Creek Park
via exit133.com Swan Creek is a massive park, and it’s potential for Tacoma is huge. If you live near it, or have ideas on what it could be, there will be many opportunities for talking about it’s future. This will be the first: Environmental Education Programming Workshop Wednesday, March 2, 2011 1:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m. Family Investment Center, Room 101 1724 E 44th Street, Tacoma WA 98404
^