Month of August

Since the school board will make their final decision regarding the pool on August 28th there is little time to organize further fundraising events.

Please continue to contact individuals and businesses and request their financial support for the pool. We now have our website setup to accept donations via credit card, so please feel free to direct individuals to our website to make a contribution.

The school board has approved a new advertising policy that will allow us to sell advertising space at the pool. Andy and I are working on a mock up that we will include in a marketing package we plan to send out to North Kitsap businesses. We believe this is a huge potential for funding for the pool. We could use a volunteer to help us create and maintain a listing of businesses we will send the material to and to help us put the mailing together. Please let me know if you can help.

Everyone has done a fantastic job supporting the pool. Keep up the good work.

Randy

City of Poulsbo

August will be a quiet month for direct fundraising efforts due to the time constraints before the school board makes their decision.

Over the next several weeks it will be important that we continue to focus efforts on the Poulsbo City Council. They continue to discuss the pool, but to date they have not committed to supporting the pool financially. The fact is they have the money. New businesses, such as WalMart, are generating a large increase in sales tax revenue for the city and I believe the city should direct some of these funds back to the community.

A majority of the individuals that are shopping at these new businesses are not residents of the City of Poulsbo so the cities argument that they should not fund a resource that is used by the entire North Kitsap community is simply not valid. The entire North Kitsap community is contributing to the increased revenue the city is realizing and they have an obligation to recognize that.

There is a city council meeting on August 6th and I encourage everyone to attend and address the city council. Keep the letters and emails going and let them hear your voice.

Randy

School Board Update

The next school board meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 28th. The school board will approve the 2008-2009 district budget at this meeting and we will know the final outcome regarding the pool when the budget is approved.

At the last school board meeting the board instructed the district finance director to sharpen her pencil and work on balancing a budget with the pool included. I have spoken to the finance director and I know she is working on a budget for the pool and will present that to the school board on August 28th.

The word from the school board is that they are considering keeping the pool open until December 31 with a strong statement that monthly reports must be made to the school board regarding pool and that there must be a focus on making the pool operate more efficiently and generate more revenue in order to reduce the burden on the school district.

I have requested that the school board consider creating a pool oversight committee that can work directly with the pool manager regarding pool operations and that this committee provide the monthly updates the board is requesting.

Please continue to contact the school board members and express your continued support for the pool. We cannot let them think our efforts have died off and we need to keep the pressure on.

Randy

Fun Run/Walk Results

It is my pleasure to announce that the fun run/walk held yesterday was a HUGE success.

There were a total of 224 participants which far exceeded any event Poulsbo Running has held.

The final total of the amount raised is $4,656.

Please join me in expressing our thanks for Chris and Brooke for sponsoring this event. You can email them at poulsborunning@foxinternet.com.

The turn out continues to show the support that we have from the community for the pool. Please continue to contact the school board and the Poulsbo City Council to express your thoughts and support for the pool. The city council needs to step up and respond the communities interest and provide financial support for the pool and the school board needs to understand that the pool provides an important resource for the education of our children. WRITE THEM AND TELL THEM HOW YOU FEEL.

Thanks

Randy

S'Klallam Tribe

The S'Klallam Tribe notified us today that they are donating $5,000 to the Save Our Pool efforts.

Please join me in thanking the tribe for their support of the pool.

You can find the contact information for the tribe at http://www.pgst.nsn.us/new-content/contact/contact.php.

Randy

Poulsbo Life - Poll On Pool Usage

Please go to http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jul/06/poulsbolife-poll/ and take the poll that Poulsbo Life Newspaper is conducting on pool usage.

Randy

Fun Run

Hi Everyone,

We are making great progress with the School Board and things are looking positive. The school board will finalize the 2008-09 district budget during their August meeting and that is when we will know the final decision regarding the pool.

Andy and I continue to work with the City, County, School District, etc. to keep the ball moving on forming a metropolitan parks district.

The total amount we have raised to date in cash and pledges reached the $30k mark today with recent pledges that occurred today. Keep an eye out for an announcement regarding a recent donor.

Our fun run is scheduled for this Sunday and I have attached a flyer regarding the event. Poulsbo Running has indicated that participation is very high compared to other events they have organized so it looks like this will be a great event. I will know more details regarding the actual route of the run/walk on Thursday and I will send out that information on Thursday night.

The route is being set so that it will work for all levels of runners and walkers and even to accommodate jogging strollers. It will be a great event and a great fundraiser for the pool.

I still need a couple of volunteers so please let me know if you would like to help out. Perhaps you want to participate on the sidelines and support the pool.

World Drowning Report

R. J. Urbauer USCGAUX Vessel Safety Examiner writes - "When will we have a drowning death in Buck Lake or on the beach at Arness Park, because we don't have a facility to provide a "learn-to-swim" program? The International Life Saving Organization is embarking on a program to break the "drowning chain" that occurs through a chain of four factors, one of which is the "inability to cope, once in difficulty". We need to do our best to keep our pool open - to save a life."

A link to the World Drowning Report is listed under the document section. Please read this important report.