Little Orphan Pasco

With a name like Pascoland, you better believe I love Pasco! So it really drives me crazy after all these years that Pasco is still treated like the red-headed step-child of the Tri-Cities. Admit it, it's true!

When people move to Tri-Cities and ask, where should I live, no one says Pasco. Ever. Call up a realtor today and say you are moving from out of state and ask them to suggest a city. It won't be Pasco.

When people move from Kennewick or Richland into Pasco, people say, "You're going where? Why?"

When people move from Pasco to the other side of the river people say, "Of course you are, I don't blame you."

Admit it. You all know it's true. You hear it every single day. This is not a secret. This is just how it is here. BUT I'M SICK AND TIRED OF IT!

Pasco is a great place to live! First of all lets agree that the Tri-Cities is small enough that if there is a benefit to living in one city, the same benefit likely applies to all three cities. Great small town feel, good roads and quick access to anywhere in the the basin.  Awesome access to water and out door recreation. Adequate access to shopping, sports, and fine arts events. A booming economy against all odds. Affordable housing. Low crime, high friendliness. Tri-Cities has it! So what is different between the three cities? Not much.

But for some reason we've been moping around like an orphan waiting for someone to adopt us and tell us we have worth. I've got news for you: Daddy Warbucks isn't coming! 

There is no magic government grant that will give us the money to buy our way to greatness. 

There is no magic bullet teaching strategy that will cure all of our academic ills. 

There is no attendance boundary configuration that will cause the stars to align in our favor.

There is no single teacher, administrator, or school board member who will turn things around and make this a town people want to come to live in AND STAY!

The time for waiting to be rescued is over. No more scanning the crowd for our long lost mommy and daddy. We aren't that kind of orphan.
We need to stop thinking like the little Annie waiting to be rescued and loved, and start thinking more like Anne.

Anne was smart. Anne was brave. Anne didn't let anyone's opinion of her get her down. At times nearly everyone was against her, but she didn't give up. It wasn't always pretty, but she did her best, and in the end she proved to everyone that she could do things no one ever thought she could do.
Anne didn't let other people put limits on her. And she didn't wait for handouts from anyone either. She was a do-er.

It's time for Pasco to stop fussing and start doing.  For a long time we have hoped that someone else would do the doing for us.  But they didn't. We thought the school district had all the power to do, so we sat back and didn't. Now we know better. This summer 1100 teachers (and the families who supported them) showed the whole community what doers can do. When PSD said curriculum couldn't be purchased. The doers said it must. When the school board said they would not allow public comments at meetings, the doers held their own meetings. And when the district payed a consultant to "heal" the community, the doers held a prayer meeting in the park for free.

WE NEED MORE DOERS!

Not talkers. Not promisers. Not wishers. And certainly not whiners.
We need more people to do more things.

Do you want to see new faces on the school board? Then vote. Or better yet, run for office!
Do you want to know what is going on in the district? Go to board meetings and study sessions and ask questions.
Do you wish that reading scores would go up for students? Then get in the classroom and read to those kids.
Do you want the district to know how you feel? Write a letter to a district administrator.
Do you want the board to hear what you have to say? Speak up at a board meeting.
Do you wish your child's school had a new playground? Go join the PTO and help raise money for it.
Do you want a new middle school and high school built? Tell the levy committee.
Do you want the board to re-do the superintendent search? Then find a way to get it done.
Do you wish people knew more about what was going on in Pasco? Write a letter to the editor.
Do you think Pasco is an awesome place to live? Then tell everyone about it.

It doesn't matter what you do as long as you do DO. (yes, I just said doo doo.)

So go ahead and click like, and go ahead and click share, but then..... DO! Do something.

If we keep acting like an abused little orphan, we will continue to be seen as one. So stand up. Hold your head up. Quit feeling sorry for yourself. Be proud! WE ARE PASCO!