As a parent, business owner, full-time resident, and future senior, I strongly endorse the formation of a parks and rec district on Lopez to bridge an urgent gap in funding for our school and keep our community from falling further behind on services benefiting younger children, working families, and seniors. I also support Bridie Spreinie and Kit Ledbetter in the contested positions because they are more qualified, informed, and dedicated candidates.
The Rally for the Rec committee has made an extraordinary effort to communicate their goals, the process, and the challenges ahead for over a year now. They have held numerous outreach events and responded to voters’ questions and concerns with integrity and transparency. If voters still have doubts, they should direct themselves to reliable sources of information, such as the Rally for the Rec website, and speak directly with the committee, school administrators, county council members, and informed community members rather than rely upon inaccurate social media grousing.
The benefits to our community will be wide and long-lasting, as will the negative consequences if we choose to NOT fund sports, after-school and summer programming, art, music, etc. Inequality is a serious issue on our island. We have an opportunity here to ameliorate the growing divide and invest in a healthy, connected, active community. Please look to the future, Lopez, and let’s RALLY FOR THE REC!
Megan McLean
Lopez Island
I coached Lopez soccer for six years, starting in 2019 with middle schoolers and later having the privilege of moving up to varsity alongside them. In the 2023 season, as a varsity coach, I had about 40 students signed up for soccer. Lopez doesn’t make cuts, but we also didn’t have a junior varsity team due to budget constraints. The solution? My assistant coach and I divided the teams and ran two practices simultaneously. It doubled the workload and, honestly, significantly impacted the students’ experience. All this while also serving as the interim athletic director and trying to support students interested in playing college soccer.
The support from The Pack, parents, and the Community Soccer team was crucial in acquiring new game balls, nets, and uniforms for Lopez’s first-ever girls’ soccer team and organizing senior night celebrations, among other things. But this approach is not sustainable, and without a long-term solution, Lopez might lose its athletic programs entirely, which would be a real tragedy. The lessons students learn — about being part of a team, asking for and providing support, leadership, and respect — are invaluable benefits of school athletics when resources allow for such growth. A Parks and Recreation District, “Lopez Rec,” is truly the best way forward.
Mycah Kraushaar
Lopez Island
Hello, my name is Rowdy Spreine, and I am an 18-year-old, recently graduated Lopezian who will be voting yes for the Parks and Rec on Lopez.
I will be voting yes because I believe that sports are an invaluable part of education, support students’ mental health, and motivate students to maintain good grades. Without a Lopez Rec, the school’s budget problems will continue to force many more, if not all, Lopez sports to shut down.
Having gone through Lopez sports in my middle and high school years, I can say they are among my best memories, and they taught me valuable lessons in leadership and teamwork that I am taking into my adult life.
The other main reason I will be voting for the Parks and Rec is that I know lots of families whose young children will not have access to the events and camps I had because of the end of grants that pay for them.
Losing those opportunities would be detrimental to many young families on the island, and if we pass this Parks and Rec, it will create infrastructure to ensure lasting stability. Join me in voting yes for “Lopez Rec.”
Rowdy Spreine
Lopez Island
