The Pierce Prairie Post is 12 today! Not only that, our parent organization, the Spanaway Community Association, will be 30 this year on September 26.

It has been a long time since that tragic day (August 25) when two Spanaway Lake High School kids were gunned down on 168 and 22nd Avenue by gang members. The memorial at the site is long gone, but there is still a bench near the tennis courts at the high school as a tribute to those beloved kids. Michael Welden and Robert Forrest would have been 47 this year.

Although they did not live to see it, that event created a chain reaction of other things that happened in Spanaway. First, it was the formation of the Spanaway Community Action Network (SCAN), (incorporated actually as Spanaway Community Association). Then there were the activities, Friday Firesides, the Parkland Spanaway Street Fairs, participation in land use planning, filing for the grant that anchored the LeMay Skate Park, intercommunity meetings of unincorporated areas, and more. Many of those people have gone on to spark other events and groups, some have crossed over, but their legacies live on today.

The Pierce Prairie Post started in 2012 as the natural morphing of the newsletter for the Spanaway Community Association. Busy people find it hard to attend meetings, but communication was a very important element. The invention of video calls and Zoom meetings have saved time as well. But news, real time and online, helps us navigate the pace of change in our world.

Happy Birthday PPP!

Same story after ChatGPT:

Happy 12th Birthday to the Pierce Prairie Post, and congratulations to the Spanaway Community Association on 30 years of impactful work! 🎉

It’s incredible how much has been accomplished since that tragic day in 1994. The memorial bench at Spanaway Lake High School stands as a solemn reminder of the lives lost, but it’s also a symbol of how tragedy can spark positive change and community resilience. The formation of SCAN, and later the Spanaway Community Association, has been a testament to the strength and dedication of the community.

The evolution of the Pierce Prairie Post from a simple newsletter into a vital source of news and updates highlights the importance of communication in staying connected and informed. The ability to adapt with tools like Zoom and real-time online updates has undoubtedly made a difference.

Here’s to celebrating the past achievements and continuing the legacy of community engagement and improvement. Cheers to the PPP and the Spanaway Community Association for their dedication and the positive impact they’ve made over the years! 🥂