Islanders need to step up for the park district board

Win or lose on the levy, the deadline for folks who are willing to run for a seat on the Vashon Park District board of commissioners is May 15.

Win or lose on the levy, the deadline for folks who are willing to run for a seat on the Vashon Park District board of commissioners is May 15. Forms must be filled out and submitted to King County by May 15, or we’ll have more of the same at VPD, and who wants that?

Many years ago, VPD Commissioner Bill Ameling said that most people on the island don’t know and don’t care about what’s going on at the park district. He was right. Nobody was paying attention. You want a better outcome? You better be willing to show up and work for it, one way or another.

For many years, Captain Joe Wubbold was one of the very few members of the community to regularly attend VPD meetings. He witnessed the whole financial/VES Fields storm as it developed and then almost broke the district. Over the past few years I’ve observed the hostility and rudeness that some commissioners have directed at Captain Joe and other members of the public who have steadfastly shown up at the meetings and tried gamely to understand and help solve the problems that the district faced. The resentment and anger that has often been shown towards citizens who raise questions is palpable, and the fact that the other commissioners allow it to go on without comment has been disheartening, to say the least.

We have an opportunity to change how business is conducted at the VPD. This November, there will be three seats up for election, but without strong candidates to run for these seats, there is no possibility of changing the disturbing culture that has developed over the years on the VPD board of commissioners.

— Andy Niss