Opinion

PenPet commissioner race a simple choice. Our two candidates for PenMet commissioner give us a clear picture of their direction if elected. First Billy Sehmel has been endorsed by all sitting commissioners. Steven Nielson is not endorsed by the sitting commissioners. Simply put. It you are pleased with the way PenMet is managing their parks

Politics have never been any different.  Candidates who can not stand on their own merits seek to bring their opponents down with innuendo and outright false statements.  I am disappointed to see Ed Nadler using this tactic, and since I am inadvertently identified in his recent redundant but unjustified accusations of his opponent, Mary Barber,

Response To Steve Nixon’s Letters First: I asked Mr. Nixon if anyone from PenMet or the For Committee would debate me offering anytime and anyplace. On August 10, 2023, Mr. Nixon responded: “I wouldn’t anticipate a debate.  Not sure how that would work.” Also, Ally and I were invited to speak before the Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor is fortunate to have PenMet Parks Director, Board and staff who are extremely skilled, professional and deeply care about our community and have presented us with a solid financial plan for the future of our parks. My family has lived in Gig Harbor since the 1940’s and as our community has grown, so

The PenMet vote is NOT about whether we value our parks. Instead, it is a referendum on how this public agency makes decisions and spends our tax dollars. A NO vote does not take away PenMet’s $8+ million budget — it only stops a 30% increase. The PenMet park I live next to is part

I am writing regarding Craig McLaughlin’s October 10, 2023 Letter to the Editor, which contained several factual inaccuracies and misleading statements. PenMet Parks staff has developed the district’s draft 2024 operating and capital budget proposal which responsibly balances community needs, goals and objectives with available resources while reinforcing the district’s long-term financial stability. The first

I grew up in a rural Pierce County home surrounded by forests. When we asked, we were told the land directly across from our house was wetlands, unbuildable. Five years later, a large, grey, concrete warehouse stood on that land directly in front of our house. Developers figured out how to build. There has been tremendous

PenMet has referred to data provided by the National Recreation and Park Association or “NRPA.”  NRPA has 7 key metrics it uses to compare one park with another. The NRPA metric data is compiled from a thousand park districts across the country. I’ve used the data for park districts with between 20,000 and 50,000 residents

The PenMet Tax levy lid lift request is excessive, in particular because of the built in “up to 6% annual increase for 5 years”. Can you imagine that it will ever be less than the full 6% per year? The need is not established. As an example, I love Mccormick Forest but I cannot imagine