With the Vashon Park District levy coming up this fall, I would like to stress how important the parks are to our island youth. Of course there are the baseball and soccer teams that use Agren and the VES fields; the swim teams that use the pool; and the skaters at Burton Adventure Recreation Center (BARC).

I am the leader of the Vashon Rock Riders 4-H Club. I am most involved with Paradise Ridge Park. Our 4-H club very much needs for this park to remain open. We use the assembly building for our business meetings and the arenas and trails for our group lessons. We meet at least twice a month, with a business and a mounted meeting on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

The horse community has done much work at Paradise Ridge Park to build the amenities we have today. We have fundraised, held volunteer work parties, and built almost everything ourselves. However, the Vashon Park District manages and maintains it.

We are not the only park to have huge investments from user groups. It would be heartbreaking for the pool to close after all the work done by the SEALS swim team to cover it for year round use. BARC is home to a dedicated user group that is planning park improvements. The Keepers of Point Robinson have added incredible value to our island.

This levy is a very modest proposal, but it keeps the lights on if passed. Please think of the kids when you vote in November.

— Marie Bradley