- 8/26/2010 - Celebrate the Grand Opening of Discovery Pond
- 8/26/2010 - Park District partnership with Goodwill STEPS program benefits both youth and the community
- 8/26/2010 - Park Board to explore healthy foods policy
- 7/30/2010 - Audit report: 11 years with no findings
- 7/30/2010 - Garfield Park is temporarily closed during 2005 Park Improvement Bond construction work
- 7/16/2010 - Vote Daily for Dog Park Video!
- 6/30/2010 - Tacoma resident is one of 59 contestants vying for half-million dollar donation
- 6/18/2010 - Life Jacket Program at Point Defiance Marina
- 5/28/2010 - Vision Presented for Restoration of People’s Pool
- 5/28/2010 - Point Defiance Kiosk Relocation and Rejuvenation
Wellness Report
Jul 30, 2009
If crunches and lunges are the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Fitness”, Metro Parks Wellness Coordinator Janet Bissell suggests making a mind shift. “Our society has become extremely inactive,” Bissell told Commissioners during her July 27 report to the board. Ten percent of children and 28% of adults in Pierce County are clinically obese. Only 23% of tenth-graders eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.Bissell’s report boiled down to a compelling need for the community embrace the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department’s recommendations in its report for healthy living presented to the board last month. Bissell shared that there are a series of simple life changes that can help increase health and wellness. “Today, parents hop in the car to drive children to and from school. We drive everywhere and don’t receive the health benefits of walking that used to be a normal part of our daily routines,” she said. before urging commissioners to advocate for development of walkable communities and to increase access to healthy foods through support for community gardens.
She ended her presentation by reminding the audience that fitness today is about conscious choices that encourage any increase in physical activity. “It’s about getting active, your way”, she concluded.
Commissioner Mello commended Bissell for her “systems-thinking” in terms of community wellness. He then addressed fellow commissioners, asking for their support in advocating for expansion of community gardening, encouraging development of walkable communities and supporting other activities that complement the parks’ system in creating a healthy community.