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Metro Parks named finalist for national Gold Medal Award
Just a few words of context for the feature image and video in this issue of Metro Parks Today: Last month Metro Parks learned it was one of four finalists in its population category for the national Gold Medal Award.
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It’s the most prestigious award in the recreation and parks industry, and finalists are required to post a video that captures what the agency does. If you watch, however, you’ll see less about Metro Parks than about the partnerships that help Metro Parks serve the community. You’ll see the
Science and Math Institute, the Swan Creek Park
mountain bike trails, the
Adaptive Recreation program and many more: all products of organizations working together for a greater good.
The video, by the way, was created with heavy support from
Tacoma Public Schools, which is fitting given the longstanding collaborations between the two agencies.
Enjoy.
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Michael Thompson is
public information manager
of Metro Parks Tacoma. Contact
him at
(253) 305-1092 or
michaelt@tacomaparks.com
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Pools and partnerships making a splash in Tacoma; Park Board Notes June 2017
Once the spring rains have passed, I start thinking about swimming and the opening of Metro Parks Tacoma’s spraygrounds and outdoor pools for the summer. That is not to say I don’t enjoy the use of the pools in the “off season.” You can find me almost any early weekday morning swimming laps at People’s Community Center pool before work, and I have taken my 3-year-old granddaughter there on occasion.
This hidden jewel located in the Hilltop neighborhood, celebrated a re-opening in September 2016. During the first six months of the new People’s pool operations, more than 13,000 pool entries – you could call them swimmers – were recorded. That compares with a total of 5,000 throughout 2007, which was the last full year of operations at the original People’s pool, which shut down in 2008.
Open swims at the pool were pretty busy during the fourth quarter of 2016, just after the pool opened. People’s recorded 3,800 swimmers during open swim periods. That was about 500 more swimmers each month than were recorded at either East Side or Norpoint for the fourth quarter.
Activity during the pool’s first quarter of 2017 also was impressive. About 5,000 swimmers took advantage of open swim in January, February and March. That is more than double the number recorded for the same period at each of Metro Parks’ other indoor pools, Eastside and the Center at Norpoint.
Also, we’re pretty excited about a growing relationship with Jason Lee Middle School. This year, we started Swim Club, an after-school collaboration with Tacoma Public Schools. It’s designed as a reward program for students with good behavior and in good academic standing. Two groups of kids come for an hour twice a week (3:30-4:30 p.m. on either Mondays and Tuesdays or Wednesdays and Thursdays). Metro Parks teaches swimming and swim team skills. The school district provides transportation, and pays Metro Parks staff costs. You may see more; Metro Parks and the school district are working on plans for still more programming. Stay tuned.
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Back to now and what’s going on this summer. We offer swim lessons at seven pools during the summer: Eastside, Norpoint, People’s, Stewart Heights, Kandle and two high schools (Foss & Mt. Tahoma). Here is a fun fact that shows how important People’s pool is to Tacoma: We served 91,000 swimmers at six pools last summer, and with People's pool now open, that number is projected to increase to over 100,000 swimmers this summer!
Andrea Smith was elected to the Board of Park Commissioners in 2011. Her fellow commissioners elected her as Board President on Jan. 9, 2017.
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Andrea Smith
President,
Metro Parks
Tacoma
B
oard
of Commissioners
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Capital Improvement Projects
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Eastside Community Center construction is starting!
We are excited to announce that the City of Tacoma granted construction permits, and that means ... we are starting to build Tacoma’s newest community center!
We also will be spending the next few months talking with – and listening to – neighbors in the area as we consider the future of Portland Avenue Community Center and Park. We are scheduling three public meetings in the neighborhood this summer. We will also mail notices to neighbors, attend meetings of neighborhood groups, use social media channels, and survey park and community center users. We want to hear from you before we take any recommendations to the Board of Park Commissioners for decisions.
The first community meeting will be
Thursday, June 29, from 6 to 8 pm
at Portland Avenue Community Center
We are grateful for all of the support and feedback from residents, donors, partner agencies, students, and everyone else who has contributed to the vision of an incredible place to gather, play, learn and grow in East Tacoma. Stay tuned for an invitation to an exciting construction celebration, and #ImagineEastside!
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New bridge at Wright Park
The new bridge at Wright Park is approximately 54 feet long, 8 feet wide and weighs just under 22,000 pounds. It was fabricated off-site and lifted into place with a crane.
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Drivers: Watch for the trolley stop (signs) in Point Defiance Park!
Metro Parks is excited to help Pierce Transit launch the
Downtown to Defiance Trolley this summer. The trolley runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 3 and includes stops in our very own Point Defiance Park, including the Visitors Center and Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
Drivers should take care to watch for the temporary stop signs that are brought out near the Visitors Center when the trolley is operation. And watch your speed – enhanced traffic ticketing has begun.
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Warning: Expect a ticket if you feed wildlife in Point Defiance Park
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Speeding, dangerous parking, wildlife feeding: The grace period is over.
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All dads get half-off general admission at Point Defiance Zoo on June 18
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Take one Superstar Dad. Add in two adorable Magellanic penguin chicks. Then think about an entire day of family fun.
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Pilot program puts teens to work on conservation at Metro Parks, Mount Rainier
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5-week experience modeled after Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps.
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Free walks this summer lead families through nature
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Introduce your family to the diversity of Tacoma’s natural environment.
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Metro Parks hosts free summer lunch program for children in parks
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Bag lunches will be distributed at eight Tacoma sites, plus Fife.
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Marine biology students kick off experiment at Titlow Park
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Bellarmine Preparatory School students build artificial tide pool on the beach.
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Kids can become Junior Rangers at Point Defiance Park
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Now there’s new way for children to become familiar with the 760-acre treasure that is Point Defiance Park.
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Free beach walks led by Zoo and Nature Center naturalists
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Seven free summer programs led by naturalists from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the Tacoma Nature Center.
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Fort Nisqually Living History Museum wins historic preservation award
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Tacoma’s Landmarks Preservation Commission puts spotlight on annual Candlelight Tours .
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Ben B. Cheney Foundation grant to help Fort Nisqually build demonstration smokehouse
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A $7,000 Ben B. Cheney Foundation grant to the Fort Nisqually Foundation will allow construction to begin this summer.
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Ready, set, slime! Slug Fest weekend is June 24-25
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Annual event features human slug races, games and activities for kids of all ages.
Read More >
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New baby animals at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park include three swans a-swimming
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Visitors to Northwest Trek might catch a rare sight
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Upcoming Events & Public Meetings
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Friday, June 16
Saturday, June 17
Sunday, June 18
Thursday, June 22
Saturday, June 24
Sunday, June 25
Monday, June 26
Wednesday, June 28
Friday, June 30
Saturday, July 1
Sunday, July 2
Tuesday, July 4
Wednesday, July 5
Friday, July 7
Saturday, July 8
Sunday, July 9
Monday, July 10
Tuesday, July 11
Wednesday, July 12
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PUBLIC MEETINGS
Board of Park Commissioners Meeting
Monday, June 12 & 26
Monday, July 10 & 24
Capital Improvement Committee
Wednesday, June 14 & 28
Wednesday, July 12 & 26
Committee of the Whole
Monday, June 19
Monday, July 17 & 31
Eastside Community Center Public Meeting
Informational discussions about the Point Defiance Park main entrance roundabout.
Thursday, June 29; 6-8 pm
Held at Portland Ave. Community Center,
3513 Portland Ave.
Read more >
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Metro Parks Tacoma | (253) 305-1000 | metroparkstacoma.org
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