HomeMy WebLinkAbout121025 email - Please Do Not Cut Rec Center FundingALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Heather, Greg, and Heidi (my representatives),
It has come to my attention that funding for the Port Townsend rec center has come under question and that one proposed route to mitigating a budget shortfall is to close the rec center
for an unforeseeable period of time. As a Jefferson County/Port Townsed resident and mother of young children, I strongly oppose this move and urge you to move in a different direction.
Port Townsend used to be a wonderful place for young families, and in many ways still is. However, rising housing costs and general increases in cost of living have already driven many
young families out of our community. The rec center is the only indoor public space for children to play during our long rainy months and is one of the best things that Port Townsend
currently has available in terms of resources for young families who call this town home. Many afternoons when myself and other parents are stuck at home, we flock to the rec center
to fill our cups - community, recreation, structured and unstructured activities, exercise, comfy couches for tired parents to relax on while our children get their wiggles out. It
isn’t fancy - the couches are grungy, the toys are mismatched, the gym is ancient - but we don’t mind. We love the rec center for what it is and the community gathering space that it
provides.
Beyond what the rec center offers our youth and families, the decision to cut funding and shut down the center sends a terrible message to the young generation that they aren’t important,
that we don’t value them and their interests, that we are a town by retirees and for retirees. As hopeful as I am that we may one day open a new pool/recreational facility, the truth
of the matter is that such a project is years away and we need the rec center to stay open now.
Please consider the children, many of whom have no where else safe to go after school, when making this decision. Please hear
My voice and know that I represent many parents who aren’t able to write for whatever reason.
Thanks for taking the time to read this message! And thank you for serving our community in your respective roles.
Sincerely,
Katherine Kipps Bombardier
Sent from my iPhone