I enthusiastically support the Lopez Rec District and urge my fellow community members to vote for the creation of this vital community need. I was lucky to grow up in Portland, OR, with the state-of-the-art Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation district, where activities for the entire family felt limitless, full of possibility and inspired my love of the outdoors and of community building.

I cherish the skills I learned on the community basketball courts and leagues, found my best friends on the paths of the cross-country trails and spent countless hours in camps and recreation clubs. Of course, growing up, I wasn’t aware of how this was funded, I was simply engaged in the blissful experience that is parks and recreation. I hope we can provide this opportunity for the island youth and future children who will benefit their entire lives from the roots of this possibility.

We are a community who know our neighbors’ names, care for each other’s families and homes, and cross paths on the stunning beaches, trails and courts. Let’s continue to watch out and care for one another by voting for this district to be formed and watch the beauty unfold.

Katherine Bryant Ingman

Lopez Island