Who’s in Lacey?

Lacey City Manager Scott Spence has embarked on a program to get people to recognize that they live in Lacey.    He unveiled the message at the monthly Lacey chamber forum.

Lacey residents who travel- – and are asked where they’re from – – should NOT say Seattle or even Olympia, but Spence wants them to say “I am from Lacey.”

It’s all part of the city’s effort to create a sense of community among city residents.

Missing from the equation however is the North Thurston school district, which still retains the 50 year old name is was founded with when Lacey and South Bay school districts merged.   Parents and children identify with their local school and their local school district.  To get the school district to come around to accepting that it’s now part of greater Lacey has been a long struggle.

The school district not only does NOT carry the name of Lacey but still has no Lacey High School.

Another problem with identifying with Lacey is for those residents who live in east and north Lacey – –  in the 98513 and 98516 ZIP Code areas.    While not in the city limits, they are part of  greater Lacey and the Lacey Fire District.   But, they carry an Olympia address

That’s an old concept when mail was sorted at the Olympia Post Office.  Now, all mail is sorted in Tacoma and mail for 98503 – 98506 – 98513 and 98516 is all delivered from the Lacey Post Office.

If Spence truly wants people to identify as being from Lacey, he first has to work with the school district to get it to change its name to Lacey.    Then he has to encourage residents in the 98513 and 98516 areas to list Lacey, WA   98513 or 98516 on their mail.

I commend the city for trying to encourage a sense of community, but a better  effort needs to be made to acc0mmodate these suggestions.

Lacey is more than just its city limits.

(Lacey should annex Tanglewilde and Thompson Place but that’s a story for another time.)