On May 16th the Parks and Neighborhood committee (PaN) voted to allow the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to form a partnership with the Seattle Audubon Society, create the Parks and Recreation Legacy Citizen’s Advisory Committee, and appoint Michael Shiosaki to the Arboretum and Botanical Garden Committee. See the meeting agenda here, or watch […]

This afternoon in High Point, I stood with Mayor McGinn and acting Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, Christopher Williams, as the mayor announced his preferred option for the future of our community centers. Mayor McGinn will incorporate our Option #2, or the Geographic Management and Service Level option, into his 2012 budget. It is unusual […]

Seattle Parks & Recreation’s  4th annual Big Day of Play is this Saturday, August 27th, at Magnuson Park. It’s the signature event of the Healthy Parks, Healthy You initiative, designed by Parks and Public Health-Seattle & King County to promote physical activity and wellness programs that serve our diverse community. Big Day of Play is […]

The Parks and Green Spaces Levy allocates $800,000 for planning, design and construction for the renovation of the play area at Volunteer Park. Planning has begun and in house design is beginning for the renovation. The public process begins next week, and all are welcome to attend the upcoming meetings. More details can be found […]

I am often delighted with the work I get to do, and that delight often comes as the result of collaboration with talented, dedicated people who don’t always receive the credit they so richly deserve. With that in mind, I’m so pleased to share the news that Christopher Williams, acting Superintendent of Seattle’s Department of […]

City Council has asked Seattle Parks and Recreation to re-think how community centers are operated. This process will include public meetings to discuss with the community ideas for how centers can be run more effectively and more efficiently. We heard hundreds of requests during the budget process to keep all 26 centers open without making […]

Seattle Parks & Recreation Acting Superintendent Christopher Williams joined us at Thursday’s Parks & Seattle Center Committee. As the year ended, 10% of Parks employees were laid off or had their hours reduced. Notwithstanding these budget whacks, Parks is regrouping. Here are some of the departmental accomplishments from 2010 and a look ahead at select […]

It was a few weeks ago when I received an invitation to dedication in South Park. As chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee, I receive many of these invitations and all are a delight. But this one was a little different. This one was emotional. It wasn’t just a park dedication; it was a tribute, […]