A celebration in September marked the start of construction for Eastside Community Center, which is on track to open in 2018.
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News and Notes
2017 was a busy year for Metro Parks. In addition to great programs, camps, nature walks and all those other things you’d expect a park district to offer, Metro Parks did a few things you don’t see every year:
- Developed a partnership with Cambia Health Solutions to expand Dickman Mill Park, restore the historic head saw there and support a new event lawn at Point Defiance Park.
- Replaced the pedestrian bridge in Wright Park.
- Successfully treated Wapato Lake against toxic algae and started replacement of the lake’s docks.
- Dedicated a sports field to the late Bob Maguinez
- Participated in the Downtown to Defiance trolley pilot.
- Began construction on a new community center for Tacoma’s Eastside.
- Celebrated being named a Gold Medal finalist by the National Recreation and Parks Association.
That’s just a partial list. And that was just 2017.
As some staff members note, 2018 is on track to be the “biggest” year in Metro Parks history. On the horizon are several major grand openings, planning efforts and new programs. Three grand openings stand out:
All are aiming for mid-year openings (depending on how construction goes over the winter). We will let you know as opening dates get confirmed so you can help celebrate.
Also in 2018, expect Metro Parks to ask you to share thoughts and ideas for three major recreational areas:
- Metro Parks and the City of Tacoma are working together to plan for the Ruston Way waterfront’s future needs.
- Titlow Park’s master plan needs to be updated to more clearly address the park’s natural areas and shoreline.
- Swan Creek Park is primed for opportunities to grow into a major regional park on par with Point Defiance, and we will be talking with you about the possibilities.
For all three of those, we will host public meetings, conduct online surveys and seek other ways for you to give input.
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And also coming in 2018 are more construction projects, starting with a roundabout for Point Defiance Park’s Pearl Street entrance that will improve safety and traffic flow.
The $198 million capital improvement bond that voters approved in 2014 fuels most of these projects.
What’s more, the park district has leveraged the bond to bring in millions in additional funding from grants, other agencies and donations. All of it is directed at benefiting residents who live in the Metro Parks Tacoma district – and beyond.
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Michael Thompson is
public information manager
of Metro Parks Tacoma. Contact
him at (253) 305-1092 or
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Park Board President reflects on how her involvement with Metro Parks began
Park Board Notes December 2017
Since this is the time of year for giving thanks, I’d like to thank everyone for the opportunity to serve on your Board of Park Commissioners, the governing body that sets our agency’s policies and oversees its operations.
It’s a great honor to represent this outstanding organization. It also makes me think of how my involvement with Metro Parks started more than 20 years ago.
The Park Board often expresses appreciation for the thousands of volunteers who contribute the time, energy and expertise that are crucial to sustaining Metro Parks’ achievements.
CHIP-in! attracts hundreds of volunteers who turn out for weekend work parties, help nurture our gardens and patrol our parks. Other dedicated folks support our recreation programs.
Less visible to outsiders are the efforts of the dozens of volunteers who belong to our four
Citizen Advisory Councils and offer input on policies, operations and budgets, and Metro Parks’ five nonprofit
foundations, dedicated to raising funding and providing resources to help the district carry out its mission.
Every volunteer experience is unique, but I can share my own. My volunteer commitment to Metro Parks began on the governing board of the
Greater Metro Parks Foundation in 1996. I couldn’t donate a lot of money, but I could give my time.
My grade-school-age kids took swimming lessons, so I valued what Metro Parks meant to them and to other Tacoma children. Then, as now, I worked in banking, so I had enough bookkeeping know-how to be the organization’s treasurer, if needed.
One of the perks was a chance to meet Metro Parks employees and witness their dedication for myself. What I found out was that they give 110 percent every day. It doesn’t matter what the job is. They’re all pulling together for Metro Parks. This is an organization that believes community is important and the end goal is the greater good.
Along with other foundation board members, I was introduced to the range of Metro Parks activities and venues, and was briefed on the budget. I got practice in running meetings and the nuts-and-bolts of fundraising: how to identify potential donors and how to ask for money. I found out speaking in front of people wasn’t as scary as I thought.
Over time, the foundation became a more powerful fundraising force. Initially, it served only to solicit grants earmarked for Metro Parks recreation programs. By the time I left in 2011, we had raised $3.2 million for the Zina Linnik memorial project. The effort transformed McCarver Park into a welcoming Hilltop attraction for children and neighbors.
Eventually, I served the foundation as its treasurer, and later as its president and secretary. Also during that time, I campaigned in support of bond and levy measures to benefit Metro Parks. I was a treasurer of Neighbors for Parks, the political action group that supported the successful 2005 bond campaign and the 2010 levy lift. Working on those campaigns gave me the confidence to run for election myself. I have twice been elected to the Metro Parks board.
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I’d like to encourage other supporters of Metro Parks to make a commitment to a
foundation or
Citizen Advisory Council. You’ll get as much out of it as you give, and Metro Parks leaders will appreciate and utilize your talents. The opportunities are both numerous and varied. No matter what your passion, you’ll be able to identify a suitable niche. You’re likely to discover, as I did, that the effort yields its own reward.
Andrea Smith was first elected to the five-member Metro Parks Board of Park Commissioners in 2011 and in November was re-elected to a second six-year term. She also is finishing a yearlong term as Board President.
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Andrea Smith, President
Metro Parks
Tacoma
Board
of Commissioners
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Capital Improvement Projects
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Take the free CHI Franciscan Holiday Express to Zoolights
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Starting Thursday (Dec. 14), the CHI Franciscan Holiday Express will shuttle visitors to Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Passengers can board the direct service at the Tacoma Community College Transit Center and enjoy the ride to the zoo’s front gate. After enjoying the display of more than a half-million lights, simply catch a return trip to TCC.
Both the bus and parking are free, courtesy of CHI Franciscan Health, Pierce Transit and Metro Parks Tacoma.
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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium awards $312,330 in grants
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Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium’s Dr. Holly Reed Wildlife Conservation Fund has awarded $312,330 to 32 projects that protect threatened and endangered species and advance scientific knowledge at home and around the world.
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Metro Parks moves ahead to explore feasibility of professional soccer stadium with city, Seattle Sounders, Rainier
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The Metro Parks Tacoma Board of Commissioners on Dec. 11 gave Executive Director Shon Sylvia the go-ahead to explore possible partnerships for the development of a professional-grade soccer stadium and related ventures at Heidelberg/Davis Park.
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Guests team up to donate 1,471 pounds of food to people in need
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Visitors to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park donated a combined 1,471 pounds of food to the Emergency Food Network during the just-concluded Help Out for Half-Off drive.
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The loveable, 3,450-pound Pacific walrus who wowed Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium visitors last fall and spring with his 17-inch tusks and humongous bulk, then delighted them with his whistling ways, recently arrived in Tacoma from SeaWorld San Diego.
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Metro Parks opens new greenhouse complex on Tacoma landfill
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State-of-the-art facility expected to yield long-term water, energy and maintenance savings.
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Pierce County grants landmark status to Browns Point Lighthouse Park
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Browns Point Lighthouse Park has once again achieved landmark status.
The Pierce County Council recently added the site to the Pierce County Register of Historic Places. This allows nonprofits like as the Points Northeast Historical Society, which advocates for preservation of the lighthouse and its surroundings, to apply for county grants to further that goal.
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People’s Community Center showcases visual art inspired by neighborhood
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People’s Community Center boasts more than a new pool. This fall, the center also welcomed the addition of 20 pieces of visual art created by 15 Pierce County artists with ties to Hilltop.
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Give the gift of Metro Parks Tacoma experiences
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This holiday season, you can feel good about giving gifts that reflect your environmental values, while providing opportunities to DO stuff rather than GET stuff.
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Take a Winter Break at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
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Schools are about to let out for the rest of the year, and the holiday rush is on. We’ve got some great suggestions for memorable times with family and friends over the coming two weeks.
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Give the environment a holiday gift; recycle your lights.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is teaming up with Girl Scouts of Western Washington again this year on a holiday lights recycling program. Working together, we hope to keep thousands of strings of lights out of landfills.
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Upcoming Events & Public Meetings
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, December 13
Thursday, December 14
Friday, December 15
Saturday, December 16
Sunday, December 17
Monday, December 18
Tuesday, December 19
Wednesday, December 20
Thursday, December 21
Friday, December 22
Saturday, December 23
Sunday, December 24
Monday, December 25
Tuesday, December 26
Wednesday, December 27
Thursday, December 28
Friday, December 29
Saturday, December 30
Sunday, December 31
Monday, January 1
Saturday, January 6
Sunday, January 7
Friday, January 12
Saturday, January 13
Sunday, January 14
Monday, January 15
Saturday, January 20
Sunday, January 21
Saturday, January 27
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PUBLIC MEETINGS
Board of Park Commissioners Meeting
Monday, Jan. 8 & 22
6:00 pm
Capital Improvement Committee
Wednesday, Dec. 27
Wednesday, Jan. 10 & 24
5:00 pm
Committee of the Whole
Monday, Dec. 18
Monday, Jan. 15 & 29
5:30 pm
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Metro Parks Tacoma | (253) 305-1030 | metroparkstacoma.org
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