Month: December 2022

I hope your holiday time with family and friends went off without a hitch, but I know for many of you, it didn’t.  Despite all our plans, 2022 is closing out with a heavy dose of the unexpected. Some of it comes from Mother Nature - in the form of King Tides that broke local records.  As a guy who checks my TideGraphPro app regularly, I was still surprised at just how high this week’s tides were.  A combination of phenomena contributed but we saw amazing images: the Gig Harbor lighthouse entirely surrounded by water, the Purdy Market flooded, the Narrows rolling over the road on Day Island - and jellyfish swimming down the streets of Olympia!  Thankfully, our emergency responders were there to support those who needed help to…

Legendary crooner Andy Williams was known for his holiday favorite, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year.”  I couldn't agree more, but for none of the reasons Andy includes in the lyrics.  I have nothing against holiday greetings, toasting marshmallows, or hosting parties, but that is not what makes this time of year so special.  For me the season is all about how generous you and our community are. I saw this generosity at work several times over the last few weeks and it warmed my heart. Many of you helped collect clothing and donate money for Ukrainian refugees who came to Pierce County from their war-torn country.  It took a lot of work and coordination - donation boxes throughout our workspaces, all returned to the Human Services Soundview conference…

It’s been quite a year. We began 2022 starting to emerge from the throes of the pandemic and moving closer to the “new normal.” That is, before the “tridemic” of the flu, COVID and RSV emerged recently to strain our healthcare system once again. The Great Resignation upended the relationship between employee and employer. Wildfires, snow and flooding reminded us of the power of nature. For all the challenges and obstacles that 2022 threw at us, however, we made good strides in many important initiatives.  One case in point is the small business accelerator program that graduated 200 new or reinvigorated entrepreneurs of color into our community! Over the last 12 months, you have shown up for our residents. Whether you were working at a kitchen table, in an office…

  If you’ve ever watched the fantastic Fiddler on the Roof movie, you will no doubt remember the scene where Tevye exuberantly sings about his family and their traditions.  He is fearful that a modern way of life is coming to his Orthodox Jewish home. Many of us have holiday traditions that make this time of year so nostalgic. As a young boy, my grandmother served finnan haddie at her Christmas Eve Dinner – a Scottish “delicacy” that was revolting to me.  My brother and I dreaded the meal!  I was relieved when that particular meal was dropped from our holiday traditions! More recently, a few years ago our family started a fun tradition of lighting the County’s Christmas tree with our granddaughters, Blair, Lucy and Maggie!  The girls have…