Let’s talk more reasonably about the large city-owned property bordered by San Juan, F, Walker, and Blaine streets, Shall we? 

For thousands of years this area was probably an important hunting and food-gathering area for the native S’Klallam, as well as a portage. Only in the past 100 years or so has it been used as a golf course. Because it is owned by the city, what happens on that property is determined by the community at large. 

As your family changes, you age, or you develop other interests and needs, do you ever remodel your house? That’s what we’re considering. Unfortunately we’re mostly hearing from a tiny but very vocal constituency that has a lot to loose if we decide to remodel the golf course into something that many more of us can use. 

Yes, the city appears to be squandering money on consultants, but this seems to be the way of most organizations these days, be they government, nonprofit, or private business. That’s not the issue here. Keep your eyes on the prize: We can continue to have publicly-owned space in the center of town that is accessible only to a very few who like to golf, while the rest of us can only look longingly at the “closed” space, or we can remodel that huge and valuable space in our community into something that serves many more of us, making it truly open space. 

Please attend either the in-person open house at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, or the virtual event at 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, and make sure that the city’s decision-makers hear from all of us, not just those wielding a club.

Phil Dinsmore
PORT TOWNSEND