HomeMy WebLinkAbout112425 email PT Rec Center (0002)ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
To Commissioners Heidi Eisenhour, Heather Dudley-Nollette, and Greg Brotherton,
I have been informed that the Port Townsend Recreational Center is a candidate for upcoming budget cuts. I’m writing to implore you to continue funding this space, as it is truly a cornerstone
of the community in Port Townsend. From youth recreational sports to all-ages Zumba classes, the Rec Center is one of the most important gathering places in PT. Having and maintaining
this lovely old building in the heart of town is imperative for our community.
When I moved to Port Townsend as a single mother of two teens, I found the little town on the Olympic Peninsula to be a lonely, isolating place. It wasn’t until I started going to Zumba
classes at the Rec Center three times a week that I finally found “my people” in PT. My kids have since graduated and I’ve recently moved away, but those classes, with attendees ranging
from teens to octogenarians, and with the ever-positive Bailey Burkhartmeister at the helm, were a continuous source of joy and connection for me. I looked forward to those days, and
always felt happy after class. Frequently, I’d stop by Pan D’Amore for a croissant or Aldridge’s for a chai afterwards with the other dancers.
Last year, shortly before Christmas, my ex-husband/father of my children suddenly passed away. In an unexpected and unrelated turn of events, my own father died the following day. As
you might imagine, I was devastated by my own grief, as well as trying to support my children in theirs. It took many, many months to feel semi-normal again. During that time, Bailey’s
Zumba classes at the Rec Center became the little lights that kept me going during a very dark period. I know that this may sound like hyperbole, but it’s not. If any of you have experienced
big grief before, you’ll know that it knocks you sideways and makes even normal tasks feel almost impossible. It was often very hard to get out of bed. However, I did it for Zumba!
Being able to dance three times a week was deeply therapeutic.
I mention all this, because sometimes the little things are really the big things. The Rec Center isn’t just an old building with a temperamental roof: it’s one of the main arteries
of connection in Port Townsend. As you see the people filing in to dance class, the parents playing with their kids, and the teens hanging out, please remember that people are often
carrying invisible burdens, and that having a safe place like the Rec Center to put them down can make a tremendous difference in our lives.
Kind regards,
Jenessa Goodman