Recently, Laura O'Mara queried a woman from the east, who has sent a donation every December for many years, none of us knowing her story. Here is her reply:
I grew up on the Island and had about as happy a childhood as any human could possibly expect, and the setting was an important piece of that. Who can knock playing on the beach, watching the sun set on Mt. Rainier and then the Olympics, and walking in the woods around Gazzam Lake, and yet being able to listen to the symphony in Seattle? We had the best of all possible worlds. Geoff has said for years that I was doomed to a happy childhood!
One of the ways to recognize the importance of the setting and to maintain ties to the Island is to help preserve land, so we support the Land Trust. I first learned about it when we were visiting Mom on the 4th of July sometime in the 90's. The Land Trust had a booth with long-sleeved tee shirts. I bought one and wore it until finally the holes were too big to ignore. By the way, Mom was Janet West, former mayor. If you've been on the Island more than about eight years, you might have known her.
We will continue to support the acquisition of public land and preservation of environmentally significant land on Bainbridge, and elsewhere, so long as we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. It is our goal to support places like Westwood where one can be still (to paraphrase the Eagles, "Learn to Be Still").
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Mission
