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The Pierce County Library System wants to find out the public’s interest in replacing existing libraries in Sumner and Lakewood with new ones.

Officials are using open houses and an online survey for feedback on what citizens want from libraries so that new facilities can be designed accordingly.

The Sumner library branch is in a building co-owned by the City of Sumner and the library system (PCLS). The building will close because it is aging and needs costly repairs. Officials said the community has an opportunity to have a new library built on land the city purchased on East Main Street—something that city leaders voiced strong support of during a meeting of the PCLS Board of Trustees in June.

In Lakewood, the branch there was built 56 years ago, more than 30 years before Lakewood became an incorporated city. The library serves nearly 60,000 people with services and resources, but it doesn’t support current or future uses of libraries and would require millions of dollars in upgrades, according to PCLS. As part of a city plan for municipal development, Lakewood officials want a new library in a redeveloped downtown core.

In addition, the Tillicum library branch serves a Lakewood neighborhood in a small, aging building that is shared with a community center.

“The current libraries are well-loved and well-used and have served the communities well,” said PCLS executive director Georgia Lomax. “Unfortunately, the buildings are underserving the communities, as more people and more services compete for limited space. The libraries were built with the purpose of housing books. Today, libraries serve many more individual and community needs.”

This summer, PCLS is talking residents of the Lakewood and Sumner areas in libraries, at community events and online to learn what they want in new libraries. An online survey is available at imagine.pcls.us. And two week-long open houses are scheduled at each of the current branches:

  • July 28 to Aug. 3 in Sumner (1116 Fryar Ave.).
  • Aug. 12-17 in Lakewood (6300 Wildaire Road SW.) and Tillicum (14916 Washington Ave. SW.).

Lomax said new libraries would be designed around how people want to use them, as well as for offering books, movies and other resources. Library buildings must meet the needs of people who also expect to find music, computer and related technologies, community meeting spaces, and quiet work and study areas, she said.

PCLS serves a population of about 600,000 people in a service area stretching from Key Peninsula to Buckley. More than 1 million books, e-books, audiobooks, movies and other material are available through 20 branches and online.

srmedia by — July 17, 2019 in News
Enjoy Mount Rainier (traffic and all) by knowing the ropes

Summertime visits to Mount Rainier National Park come with the downside of the bulk of the 1 million-a-year visitors who create long wait times at the Nisqually and White River entrances and heavy road and parking lot congestion.

On weekends, the Paradise and Sunrise parking lots are filled by late morning. At Paradise, overflow parking is available at the Paradise picnic area (within walking distance to the visitor center, on the right as you approach Paradise) and along Paradise Valley Road. The road may require a long uphill walk to reach the visitor center, restrooms and trails.

When the Sunrise parking area is filled to capacity, vehicles are held at the White River entrance and then slowly metered in as other vehicles depart.

Park officials recommend using the following tips to have an enjoyable visit and avoid the worst of the congestion:

  • Visiting on weekdays, and arriving in early morning or late afternoon, can help avoid crowds, long entrance station lines and delays, and difficulty finding a place to park.
  • Have an alternate plan and destination in mind if long lines and waits are encountered entering the park. Experience the sights and activities of gateway communities during peak hours and weekends. U. S. Forest Service land and the Crystal Mountain Resort provide nearby destination alternatives.
  • Using an annual park or interagency pass, or having the correct payment in cash, can minimize time spent at the entrance station and keep the line moving. Credit card transactions take more time to process and contribute to delays. A new option is purchasing the pass online through YourPassNow.com and printing the pass before you visit.
  • Check road status for closures or other delays that may affect your travel plans.
  • Check Twitter (an account isn‘t required to view) for congestion updates. The park will be tweeting more frequent wait-time information on weekends and holidays to assist with trip planning.
  • At the Nisqually Entrance, please be mindful not to block driveways of neighboring residences and businesses along State Route 706 in Ashford on the approach to the gate. Visitors who typically enter via the park’s southwestern entrance near Ashford may also consider the southeastern entrance near Packwood as a shorter-wait alternative on busy weekends during July and August.
  • As wait times increase to enter the park each summer weekend, break up your trip by visiting the public restroom in Elbe on SR-706 at the state Department of Transportation-managed safety rest area. In addition, visitors with children can let them stretch their legs at Ashford County Park, located at 29801 SR-706 in Ashford. The 80-acre park has trails, a playground with a large play structure, infant swings, and regular swings. There is plenty of parking, and public restrooms are located next to the playground.
srmedia by — July 9, 2019 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures
BOOKS: A reading ‘universe’ at the library

People of all ages can get their “read” on in Pierce County Library System’s Summer Reading program, “A Universe of Stories.”

Inspired by the 50th anniversary of the July 1969 moon landing, the library system (PCLS) is hosting a series of space-themed adult events and activities such as book clubs, paper crafts, altered art, rocket building and escape rooms.

Participants can sign up online at summerreading.pcls.us or at any of the 20 Pierce County Library locations, and then start reading to earn prizes this summer until Aug.31. A couple recommendations of books from librarians are “Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos” (by Brian Cox; two physicists reveal how we can all understand some of the most fundamental questions about our Earth, sun, solar system and the galaxies beyond) and “A Bend in the Stars” (by Rachel Barenbaum; in World War II-era Russia, an ambitious young doctor and her scientist brother race against Einstein to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the universe).

The program also includes presenters, including the Pierce College Science Dome and Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium for adult audiences to learn about astronomy and wildlife.

For readers looking for their next book selection, My Next Read—the Library’s online readers’ advisory service—provides personalized book recommendations. Library customers can submit an online form at mynextread.pcls.us.

More information is available at piercecountylibrary.org or the PCLS mobile app, an easy way to search for materials in the library catalog and download e-books. Lightweight e-readers or reading from a smartphone makes it easy to adjust font size and screen brightness. E-books and downloadable audiobooks expire and automatically disappear so there’s never a concern about overdue fees.

Another PCLS program, Outreach Services, takes library services to people who are unable to regularly visit a library or use the library’s services. Additional information is available at piercecountylibrary.org and 253-548-3536.

srmedia by — July 9, 2019 in Lifestyles
Upper-body strength the easy way

Upper-body exercises are important because they can help with all aspects of life, including balance, stress reduction, ease of everyday activities, and maintaining independence as you age. Upper-body exercises can be easy, no matter your age.

Here are some exercises that are easy to incorporate into your daily routine because they don’t require any equipment. Use things like a wall or chair to strengthen your upper body and core. As always, be safe and be gentle with yourself. Check with your personal physician before starting any new exercise program.

Shoulders

  • Lateral arm circles. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with both arms at your sides. You may sit in a chair if this is more comfortable. Raise your arms, palms facing down, so that your body looks like an uppercase T. Pause and make tiny circles in the air with both arms. You can go either direction with the arm circles.
  • Wall angels. Find a sturdy wall to lean against. With your back flat against the wall, place your feet three to six inches from the baseboard. Look to the floor and touch your chin to your chest, keeping the back of your head touching the wall. Your arms should be straight down. Turn your palms facing outward and slowly raise your arms forward as far as you can without feeling discomfort. Pause at the top, and then lower your arms. Keep your body touching the wall throughout the exercise.

Chest

Wall pushups. Find a sturdy wall. Place your palms on the wall so that your arms are straight, and then move your feet one inch backwards. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Slowly lean forward so that your palms are flat against the wall at shoulder height. Bend your elbows and move your upper body slowly towards the wall, pausing at the bottom of the movement for one second. Push yourself away from the wall until your arms are straight. It helps if you breathe in during the first part of the movement and exhale during the second part.

Triceps

Chair dips. On a sturdy, non-rolling chair with armrests, sit with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on the armrests. Your elbows should stick out behind you. Raise yourself out of the chair by straightening your arms as far as you can –  try to keep the weight out of your feet. Pause at the top, and in a controlled manner, lower yourself back into the chair by bending your arms. Don’t just let yourself plop down — you’ll miss out on the full benefit of this exercise.

Balance

Opposite arm and leg extensions. On mat or something soft, like carpet, get on all fours and place your hands underneath your shoulders. Your knees should be underneath your hips. With a flat back and your gaze to the floor, extend your right arm so it’s parallel to the floor. At the same time, kick your left leg out behind you. Hold for three seconds and try to maintain your balance. Repeat with the left arm and right leg.

Source: Iora Primary Care.

srmedia by — July 9, 2019 in Health & Fitness