You’ve probably been following the local news since the last Community News update; here’s a recap:

Federal funds: We’ve made the first cut on Rep. Jay Inslee’s appropriations list. We asked for $1 million, the same as last year, but $500,000 is what we stand a good chance of getting.

Thanks to Chris Endresen, Sen. Maria Cantwell is also pulling hard for us, and we’re also on Sen. Patty Murray’s radar — important, because she’s on the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Committee, as well as the Appropriations Committee.

The likelihood of getting this money gets better each time we apply. Stay tuned.

Navy Housing site: As you’ve seen by now, the site’s beginning to look a lot like a park.

Again, kudos and thanks go to Dave Wetter, Rick Lanning and the donated labor and equipment-hours they rounded up.

We think we’re still on track to have that site available for public use by the summer. Check it out, and get ready to celebrate.

Metropolitan Park District: We’re tabulating final results of the survey that’s been open for several months about desirability of an MPD for maintenance and operation of the planned intergenerational, multi-purpose community center.

The results will help us determine the boundaries of the district. Then we’ll decide whether to launch a petition campaign preparatory to a ballot measure.