Archived News...


Sprinker Abatement Order Lifted
DATE: AUGUST 16, 2010
News of the long awaited lifting of the Sprinker abatement order finally came today! Sprinker is no longer scheduled to close in October! Thank you to all of our Sprinker Friends who helped to make this a reality!

We also got a copy of the more in-depth roof inspection that took place on August 11th. According to that report, the roof is structurally sound and exceeds Building Codes for load bearing weights. The report concludes that it's cost-prohibitive to remove the existing rust and recondition the steel so the recommendation is to replace the roof decking, which will be more cost-efficient.

We will continue to work to get information about the progress of repairing Sprinker and will bring that information to you as we learn it.


Friends of Sprinker Potluck - August 12
DATE: August 3, 2010
Friends of Sprinker - join us for a Keeping Sprinker's Doors Open Celebration on Thursday, August 12 from 5pm - 8pm

We are going to get together and just share some fun and some laughs and celebrate our hard work to keep Sprinker's doors OPEN!

Bring your favorite dish, bring a bag of chips, bring whatever you want, just come have a good time!

See you there!


County Council Approves Resolution
DATE: JULY 20, 2010
The Pierce County Council voted 6-0 today to pass a resolution (R2010-102) to move forward with making necessary repairs for Sprinker.

This is just one step in this journey but it's in the right direction! The next step is getting a timeline from Pat McCarthy's office for moving forward with the necessary repairs. We have already made a request for information related to this timeline and will make it available when we have the information.

The October 31 close date has not been lifted. The date will not be lifted until there is more information available to the County Building Official. We're hopeful that this information will be available in the coming weeks.

Please take a moment to thank the County Council and Executive Pat McCarthy's office for their work on Sprinker thus far. The next step forward is in the Executive's hands. Email Pat McCarthy and ask her to fast-track this process!


Upcoming Pierce County Council Meeting - Tuesday, July 20
DATE: JULY 17, 2010
Friends of Sprinker - join us for the Pierce County Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 20

A resolution for Sprinker is on the agenda! read it here...

We would like everyone to get a chance to voice their opinion on the resolution so please come speak on Tuesday afternoon.

If you cannot come speak, send your comments to the Council right here from our website!




Friends of Sprinker T-Shirts
DATE: JULY 15, 2010
We got a new order of Friends of Sprinker t-shirts! Email us at: MyFriend@FriendsOfSprinker.com and we'll make sure you get one

OR... come by our Celebrate! Spanaway booth this weekend and get one!


Friends of Sprinker at Celebrate! Spanaway
DATE: JULY 15, 2010
Friends of Sprinker will be at the Celebrate! Spanaway Fair this weekend at 166th Street & Pacific Avenue. Come by and say "Hi!"


DATE: JULY 13, 2010
Thank you to everyone that came to today's Council Meeting! It was great to hear from Tom Cross' daughter! I will post a link to the video when it's available.

Read the News Tribune article about the new proposed plan...

Jeff and I (Quinna) also attended the Council's Study Session today and Sprinker was a topic. Based on what we heard, our message of "Fix the essentials and keep the building open" is being heard. We learned that the Executive's office has been working on a funding package to fund the essential repairs USING EXISTING FUNDS! Their preliminary estimates for the essential repairs is $6.1 million dollars. click here to see the preliminary proposed breakdown...

There was also another Structural Review done by PCS Structural Solutions. PCS reviewed the previous engineering reports that have been done and performed their own a visual observation of Sprinker. Their determination is that they "would not consider Sprinker Recreation Center a dangerous building. No immediate threat to public safety was observed in the structural systems." Further evaluations of the roof were suggested and are expected to be completed in the coming weeks. click here for the full report...

The Council is also working on a resolution that involves both short-term and long-term solutions for Sprinker and Parks, in general. This resolution will be on next week's Council Meeting Agenda, July 20th at 3:00pm (map and directions). Please plan to attend next week's Council Meeting and give your testimony on the resolution. We would encourage all of you to do two things when you give testimony or send emails: A) Be positive, and B) stay on topic.

Despite this week's step forward, we cannot become complacent. We need to be positive and continue to send our message. Keep emailing, keep calling, keep pushing for a TAX-FREE solution to fix Sprinker! They have the funds to do that! Click here to email


Upcoming Pierce County Council Meeting - Tuesday, July 13
DATE: JULY 11, 2010
Friends of Sprinker - join us for the Pierce County Council Meeting on Tuesday, July 13.




TNT Article: Sprinker May Not Close - Don't buy it!
DATE: JULY 10, 2010
The News Tribune published an article yesterday (Read the article...) claiming that Sprinker may not close after all. Friends, we are urging you DO NOT become complacent and believe that this is over and Sprinker has been saved!

We know that the County Officials are hearing us - Pat McCarthy is quoted as saying that in the article - but rest assured that the County will say anything to get us to be quiet, go away, and become complacent again!

If they were trust-worthy enough to do the right thing without community pressure, Sprinker would already be renovated and we wouldn't be here!

It is more important than ever that we continue to keep the pressure up! Keep emailing, keep calling, keep pushing for a TAX-FREE solution to fix Sprinker! They have the funds to do that! Click here to email


Friends' Letters to the Editor
DATE: JULY 10, 2010
Friends of Sprinker have had many letters to Tribune Editors published! Friends of Sprinker is giving a FREE Friends of Sprinker t-shirt to every person that gets a Letter to the Editor published through July 31! Click here to write your own letter to the News Tribune Editor.

If your letter gets published, please send us a link! MyFriend@FriendsOfSprinker.com

New letters and articles were published this past week. Click here to read them...


Friends of Sprinker Rally
DATE: JULY 5, 2010

Our rally was on KOMO and in the News Tribune! Read the article...

We're doing it again! Join us for our second Friends of Sprinker Rally!!

We are holding our rally at the intersection of 112th Street & Pacific Avenue in Parkland this coming Thursday, July 8th from 5:30pm - 7:00pm!

Bring your signs, bring your noisemakers, bring whatever you want, JUST BE THERE TO SHOW YOUR SPRINKER PRIDE!!




Upcoming Pierce County Council Meetings
DATE: JUNE 29, 2010
Friends of Sprinker - join us for the Pierce County Council Meetings on July 6 and July 13.





New Tribune Articles
DATE: JUNE 27, 2010
County seeks solution to Sprinker Situation Read it here
Spanaway rally urges 'Save Sprinker' Read it here
Death of Sprinker center would be intolerable Read it here


$32M Budget is Over-Inflated
DATE: JUNE 20, 2010
The question we've been asking for years and have heard resounding in the last few days is why is this renovation so expensive?! We've heard everything from "It's a projected cost" to "It's because the County pays prevailing wage." Well, we want to know why! Why is that number so high?

Dozens, upon dozens, of similar facilities have been built for far less, most in the range of $7M - $12M. So, we started looking to see if there was another ice facility that had cost anywhere near what the County is claiming is needed and here is what we found...

Toronto is building a hockey complex (read about it here) its budget is $34M. What are they getting for that $34M, you ask?

Four sheets of ice, that's right, FOUR! And 433 parking spaces!

We've only asked for one sheet of ice and some update meeting rooms and restrooms. The design plans call for a lot of changes and updates, but nothing nearly on the scale of what Toronto's building.

So, I ask you: Why is the budget so much? Why will it take $32M? Why can't this be done on a budget that's inline with what other municipalities and even the private sector have spent? The most expensive facility our research turned up was about $23M.

Have more information about why this renovation is budgeted so high? Or examples of similar facilities and what their costs were? Send them to us! Email us at: MyFriend@FriendsOfSprinker.com


KOMO Story Posted: Sprinker Rec. Center scheduled to close in October
DATE: JUNE 20, 2010
The KOMO story is now on their website. Read it here

Latest Site Updates

(7/13) PCS Structural Review here
(7/5) Rally Info here
(7/1) New media links here
(6/27) New media links here
(6/27) Letters updated here
(6/23) Renovation Facts Facts here
(6/23) Material Downloads Facts here
(6/23) County Mailing Info Facts here

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