Anna Marrant Barsotti: Time for McMinnville to invest in recreation

About the writer: Anna Marrant Barsotti is a Mac High grad who benefited as a kid from the myriad of Parks and Recreation programs, as well as having her first paid job refereeing soccer and selling concessions at Joe Dancer Park. She has spent the majority of her career serving the McMinnville community in the nonprofit and educational fields. A proud mama of two MHS students, one of whom refs Parks and Rec soccer, she currently works her dream job as a school garden coordinator and skill builder at Duniway Middle School.

With the pressure of election season and the uptick in national conflict, I would offer up a clear choice to all of our community members, a way to take action and feel optimistic about our future here in McMinnville: Invest in a vision for recreation and wellness.

There is no political party affiliated with the research-based facts that gathering together, being physically and mentally active and building relationships is the most impactful recipe for health.

Others have already spoken to the leaking and maintenance-plagued facilities our community currently uses, as well as a lack of options for our community members to stay healthy and engaged year-round. In identifying those issues, some solutions have also been presented, specifically a future bond asking for your support to build what our children, teenagers, adults and seniors all deserve.

Many people now are witnessing the damage done by social media, smart phones and endless web surfing. McMinnville High School is tightening enforcement regarding student phone use and other local schools are continuing this worthwhile battle on their own.

In May, the American Association of Pediatrics recommended slashing phone use by children because the average seven and a half hours of screen time kids devote to entertainment each day can be detrimental to emotional development, mastery of relational skills and commitment to physical activity.

What if we didn’t just take something away from kids, but gave them another option? What if we didn’t just tell them to not be online, but offered them in lieu a climbing wall, some basketball courts, new places to engage with peers and opportunity to build the skills to become healthy young adults?

On the other end of the age spectrum, what if we didn’t just suggest our seniors got out and about more to combat loneliness, but actually offered them activity sessions in a beautiful, spacious and well-lit senior and aquatic center facilities?

What if a bright and cheery meeting space was available for lectures and workshops that promoted learning and creativity and connection for all ages and interests? What if we approached the building and updating of our community center, pool, senior center and library with the passion some people demonstrate in hopes of affecting national elections? What if we finally learned that being part of the solution felt better than just rolling our eyes about the status quo?

You can make a difference in the lives of your neighbors as well as yourself, a difference that represents a positive step forward, a vision for wellness right here in McMinnville. Watch for more information about the upcoming spring bond issue as it develops.

Get involved and advocate locally. Be part of growing more good right here at home.