Stay in the know about upcoming events, passholder specials, and the latest news for the month of September
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Photo by Senad Tiric, Sky Orca Photography
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Don't miss these Labor Day savings
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For more information, call the front desk at (253) 404-3900
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Sign up for September swim lessons
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Coffee with Mayor Victoria Woodards
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Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards will host the September “Coffee With the Mayor” event at Norpoint in support of the City’s ongoing efforts to engage, and connect with, community members.
“Tacoma, along with the region that surrounds us, is changing rapidly,” said Mayor Woodards. “Connecting directly with our residents and businesses has always provided me with the level of perspective I need to make better policy decisions ...”
September's event will be held at the Center at Norpoint from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. For more information, visit the
City of Tacoma website
.
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Plan your weekly workouts with
this month's fitness schedule:
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Norpoint Pool will be closed from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 for staff training. Thank you for your understanding!
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Members of the Month:
The Kuravackal family
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All four of the Kuravackal family members walking together into the Center to exercise may not seem like a big deal to others, but this small act is a significant feat for the September Members of the Month.
Justin, Kate, Nathan and Zoë have been members since the mid-2000s.
Last year, Zoë faced extraordinary health challenges which led to her using a walker and taking half an hour or more to get from the parking lot just to enter the Center. She progressed to then using a wheelchair and barely being able to set the stationary bike in motion to beginning to walk again.
“Walking together means a great deal to all of us,” Kate said. “All of the Center staff were supportive and encouraging.”
Kate remembers front desk staff members Heidi and Julie holding back tears as they smiled at Zoë each visit.
“As [they are] moms of kids Zoë's age, they grieved with us how hard it was,” Kate said. “Real life and real friends happen at the Center.”
The Kuravackal boys love playing racquetball and lifting weights; Zoë likes the mats for stretching and the stair master or elliptical and Kate likes chatting with former and current students and families to see how they are doing.
“The spray park and playground used to be like our second backyard,” she said. “[It’s] a great place to get together with families with other young kids and enjoy some sunshine, or some clouds, depending on how Washington weather is dealing with us.”
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Kate grew up right in Dash Point and later moved to Browns Point with her mom, Pat Richmond. Justin grew up in Houston, Texas. The two of them met at Trinity University in San Antonio and have been married for 22 years. Zoë was born in 2003 in Caracas, Venezuela while Justin and Kate were teaching at Colegio Internacional de Caracas, and Nathan was born in Tacoma in 2005.
The family has spent years practicing Tae Kwon Do with Master Shon and all the TKD family of students and instructors in Federal Way.
“We are proud and grateful to have earned our black belts,” Kate said.
Currently, Zoë loves to ride horses and help out at Pond-A-Luce-A stables in Auburn. Nathan enjoys playing tennis for Stadium and also plays clarinet and jazz piano.
Justin, a Web Developer for Tacoma Public Schools, and Kate, a Spanish teacher at Meeker, both enjoy tennis and helping lead Soma Federal Way. The Kuravackals also have fun traveling and have taken community trips to Ecuador last year and to Costa Rica in 2016. In 2020, the family will be heading to Spain.
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If you see the Kuravackals around the facility, be sure to ask about the latest movie they’ve seen and offer congratulations as
Norpoint’s Members of the Month for September!
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Center Spotlight: Christina Pen
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Kids Club employee Christina Pen speaks three languages: Cambodian, English, and “toddler.”
In October, Christina will be celebrating 16 years working at the Center at Norpoint.
“I love the children, I want to see them growing and learning,” she said. “That’s why I’m still here.”
A few of the kids she used to watch in the Kids Club years ago have returned as co-workers in the very same daycare at Norpoint, or to work for Norpoint’s summer camps.
Throughout her career, Christina has built a strong trust with hundreds of families at the facility.
“I love their children like my own kids,” she said.
Along with working most mornings in Kids Club, she also trains all of the Kids Club employees to ensure a clean, safe, and professional atmosphere in the club.
Above all though, Christina encourages other Kids Club employees to engage with the kids in meaningful ways to help nurture their mental, emotional, and social growth.
“When I’m here, I’m not just watching the kids,” Christina says. “I try to teach them, too. How to be nice, how to be kind to one another. I want them to be polite to each other.”
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Originally from Cambodia, Christina and her husband, Darren, moved to the United States for his job. Christina enrolled in Tacoma Community College to learn English, then decided to continue her studies. She earned a degree in bookkeeping and accounting from Bates Technical College in 2004.
At the same time, Christina was a full-time student and a full-time mom - both jobs she took seriously - while raising her three kids, Krischel, Michael and Samuel.
“The time that I invested in them, I got it back,” she said while proudly talking about her children’s successes. “Sometimes I’m really proud of myself, too."
In the Kids Club, Christina uses the same caring, intentional approach to each child who visits the facility.
“When the parents drop the kids at the Center, they trust us.”
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Thank you for sharing your kind heart and caring nature with all of the children who enter Kids Club at Norpoint, Christina!
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It's a (free!) Dune Peninsula party
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Saturday is jam-packed with festivities for you and your family!
Celebrate the new Wilson Way bridge and Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park with family-friendly activities and a FREE concert on the Cambia Legacy Lawn from 1-4 p.m.
Enjoy live entertainment and a beer-and-wine garden along with food trucks offering food and beverages for purchase. Beer garden opens at noon. Seating begins at noon. No tickets required, this is a free event!
7th annual Downtown to Defiance from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Experience five miles of Tacoma’s waterfront sans-cars at this free, family-friendly event. One lane of Ruston Way and Schuster Parkway will be closed to vehicle traffic.
Along the route, try out make and take art, bubble soccer, Pickleball, a children’s obstacle course, pop-up skate park, Adaptive cycles, and nature activities from Tacoma Nature Center staff.
At 10:30 a.m., take an Artists Walking Tour with artists Adam Kuby and Nichole Rathburn on a walking tour of Dune Peninsula to learn the process and inspiration behind two new artworks, Alluvion and Little Makers.
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Get an exclusive celebration experience!
VIP Ticket (21+) includes
- VIP parking (trust us, you’ll want this!)
- VIP viewing area
- Light Hors d’oeuvres
- One (1) drink ticket and access to the VIP Bar
- VIP gift bag compliments of Point Ruston
- and much more!
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Metro Parks Tacoma has a new and improved website!
The new website makes it much easier to find information about parks and recreation programs in Tacoma.
The new site, built by Tacoma-based SiteCrafting Inc., is based on user data and links similar programs and features. Don't just take our word -- check it out for yourself below!
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Thank you for your continued loyalty as members and customers of
The Center at Norpoint
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BloodWorks Northwest at Norpoint
The BloodWorks Northwest Bloodmobile will be at Norpoint this month and each blood donation can save three lives.
Before you donate, remember to stay hydrated, eat substantial foods to fuel your body, and bring your ID or donor card.
When?
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 16
Where?
The Center at Norpoint parking lot
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Free Norpoint Day Pass on September 25
Looking to shoot some hoops? Sweat it out in the sauna? Hit a new weight lifting PR? Come on in for no cost.
Tell a friend to bring a friend. See you at the Center!
Spraygrounds are open
There's still plenty of time to splash and play at the Center's Spraygrounds! Norpoint Park includes a playground and sprayground, rain gardens, eco-turf, seating and picnic tables, skate park and trail elements.
Sept. 7 - Sept. 29:
Open weekends,
10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
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