What's Happening in Lacey, WA…

In order to make swimmers safer, and in response to input from members of the public, the City of Lacey improved Long Lake Park recently.

The park is next to the Thurston County Fairgrounds, and is located on Carpenter Road. The city has created a new area where visitors can launch small craft including paddleboards, rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and similar craft. However, they are not allowed to launch motorized boats. Park visitors can use the area from 7:00 am until the park closes at dusk.

The Northwest Paddle Surfers will remain in the park, where they rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm daily, from June 23 until September 3, weather permitting. For the last month of the summer, its policy changes slightly, and it rents equipment from Friday through Sunday only, from September 4 until September 30. Information about rentals is available on the company's website.

Lacey also added guardrails to the dock to make it safer for swimmers, and has also banned them from the new launch area. Lifeguards are continuing the same hours and days as previously, from 11:30 am until 7:00 pm daily, June 23 through September 3.

Lacey is proud of its park system, and of Long Lake Park, which has 285 feet of beach, as well as room for sand volleyball, along with pedestrian trails and picnic facilities.

Officials dealing with changes like this can use flyer printing to distribute information to residents.