Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
Michael Jordan
As we close the summer of 2024 and look to fall, I reflect on another summer that was great, wonderful, crazy and a very busy time of the year for us. The Parks and Recreation team was once again able to create opportunities for people to have great summer experiences and create lasting memories. I have an amazing talented team that work hard together to create these opportunities, whether it be to operate a swimming pool where kids can learn to swim or go down the water slide at Franklin Pool for the first time, or maybe have their first summer job as a staff person at the summer day camps at Miller Park or Kissel Park. It can also be taking golf lessons and finding a sport that you love and can play for the rest of your life. I was able to create a memory by taking my 86 year old mother who was visiting us from Chicago to the final Summer Sunset Concert of the year at Franklin Park. Definitely precious moments. Thanks to Recreation Supervisor Tami Andringa for making these concerts happen. These are just a few of the examples of the way the City of Yakima Parks & Recreation Division staff provide opportunities for all of us to enjoy
We also have a great team of volunteers. In the Spring, I put out the call for volunteers to help take care of the four rose beds at Franklin Park. Christi and Ryan DeLozier stepped up and took on the challenge. Without Christi & Ryan we may have had to remove the beautiful rose beds. We are so grateful for these volunteers along with so many others that help us do what we do.
We have volunteers at the Harman Center and through Yakima Valley Senior Citizens Incorporated ( YVSCI ) that provide services like the Coffee Bar, Soup and Sandwich lunches and fund raising events throughout the year to help us make improvements and repairs to the building. Just within the last few months YVSCI contributed almost $6,000 to help pay for a portion of the cost to replace the Fire Security Control Panel at the Center. We also have volunteers from Rotaract led by Kyle Rasmussen that are raising the funds and providing the labor for the creation of a pollinator garden at West Valley Community Park. Rotaract is the young professionals Rotary Club in Yakima.
We also have a team that has worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Aquatic Center at MLK Jr. Park. Special thanks to Ester Huey, Dori Peralta Baker, Sonya Lott and Rosie Lee and so many more for their fund raising efforts. We still have some more funds to raise, but we are almost there. A total of $3.6 million dollars will be raised for this project. We also have a talented team that is designing and constructing the new aquatic center. NAC Architecture, Chervenell Construction and their many sub-contractors are working hard to build this new facility. The Aquatic Center project is on schedule and we plan to open in June of 2025. We hope to see you there. It is going to be an amazing facility for everyone to enjoy. I am so blessed to have talented people all around me, but it is the teamwork and their skills working together that help us win. Please join me in thanking our staff, volunteers and contractors for helping us make our community better.
Ken Wilkinson, Parks & Recreation Manager