Tony Overman/The Olympian
Bikers (from left) Billot Miller, T.J. Burkhart, Jaren Mickens and Jason Mickens watch Wednesday afternoon as Bradley Stokes flies past them on one of the series of jumps the youths have helped build in a field south of Nisqually Middle School.

Supporters hopeful, but last parks bond failed

LIONA TANNESEN, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Sunday, March 3, 2002

LACEY -- Supporters of the Lacey parks bond are hoping for better luck this time.

They've mailed pamphlets to 10,000 households with registered voters and handed out 400 yard signs and 1,000 car window signs, said Jon Halvorson, a leader of the citizen committee for the parks bond and former Lacey city councilman.

"We're cautiously optimistic," Halvorson said.

Supporters also were optimistic in 1999, when a $14 million parks bond failed by 44 votes, Halvorson said.

"I want to keep charging right to March 12," he said.

No one wrote an opposing statement to the parks bond for the voters pamphlet.

But some voters do oppose it.

Patrick McGlennon said Thursday that he had mailed in his ballot, and he voted no.

"I am not convinced we are spending money wisely," McGlennon said. "I am not sure (city employees) have done their homework."

Another Lacey resident, Diana Hines, said she had voted yes on her mail-in ballot.

Hines said children and teens need a place to go.

"Basically, you see kids playing in the streets," Hines said.

Park campaign volunteers had raised $6,800 by Wednesday, Halvorson said. Most of that paid for mailing pamphlets.

Not persuaded

The campaign did not persuade McGlennon to vote for the parks bond.

McGlennon, who walks his dog every day in Thornbury Park, said he thinks the city's neighborhood parks already are underused.

McGlennon also said he wasn't certain more athletic fields are needed either, but he probably would have voted for the bond if it had been solely for athletic fields.

"Again, we have to weigh our priorities. Do we want streets upgraded or parks upgraded?" McGlennon said.

McGlennon also said he thought the city's pamphlet about the parks bond was misleading because it did not add the cost of the interest onto the cost of the bond.

Figuring out exactly how much the bond will cost in interest is difficult, Lacey Finance Director Blaine Martin said.

If the city sold the parks bonds at the same interest rate as the $5.99 million in fire bonds it sold recently, the city would be paying $5.4 million in interest for the $9.98 million parks bonds, Martin said.

But the city won't necessarily issue all the bonds at one time and can't predict the interest rates.

"It's comparable to a home mortgage," Martin said.

Catherine O'Neale, a wild goose advocate, urged voters to reject the bond, not on its merits but to make a statement.

O'Neale has campaigned against the practice of killing wild geese in South Sound parks.

O'Neale wanted voters to tell city officials to pay attention to the geese issue by rejecting the parks bond.

"I think people have to vote what they think is the right thing for Lacey," McGlennon said. "And we will probably find out on the 12th of March."

On the Web:

- City of Lacey

Supporters

The following groups have endorsed the Lacey parks bond. No organized groups have come out in opposition.

- Lacey Thurston Chamber of Commerce

- Olympia Master Builders

- Black Hills Youth Baseball

- Thurston County Fastpitch Association

- Lacey Babe Ruth Baseball

- Thurston County Youth Football

- Budd Bay Men's Rugby

- Thurston County Softball Association

- Nisqually Basin Little League

- Black Hills Cal Ripken Baseball

- Lacey Professional Firefighters Local 2903

- North Thurston Public Schools Board

- North Thurston Booster Club

- Lacey Business League

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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