A potential movie star, a gratuitous Monty Python reference that a few will get, and we learned about the local real estate market.
Meeting Notes from the August 4 meeting of
The Rotary Club of Clover Park
Recorded and edited by Tom McClellan
Jeannie Hill served as our greeter. Sergeant At Arms David Cotant was our substitute rafflemeister, and he also led us in the pledge of allegiance. Joyce Loveday led us in the 4-Way Test. And the aforementioned Jeannie Hill offered up a trio of inspirational messages, which your faithful scribe was not fast enough to jot down all of, but he did capture this:
“You need to be the artist of your own life, so don’t let anyone else hold the paintbrush.”
We had one guest, longtime friend of Clover Park Rotary Club Ralph Lockhart.
There was no sunshine to report.
Announcements
President Teresa Nye read a resignation letter from Risë Windell. Work commitments have kept her from attending in person meetings, and that is likely to continue for a while so she has ended her membership. She is keeping the door open to that changing in the future.
Bob Lawrence shared several details about the Lakewood Playhouse and its reopening plans. They are up and running again, and will be doing a “live radio show August 6 & 7. There is a “Monty Python Educational Show” August 13-15 for $10. Bob did not share any details about whether the audience would learn, “What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?”*
*The correct answer is, “What do you mean, an African or European Swallow?”
Joyce Oubré noted that there are only 6 weeks left until our Golf Tournament fundraiser, and we still have many spots left to fill for golfers to enter the tournament. So please start beating the bushes. The Fundraising Committee will now start meeting weekly after the end of the regular Rotary Club meeting at Carr’s.
Alan Billingsley was still away sailing in the San Juans, but there is some worthy ink about what our club’s Charities Account has been accomplishing in our signature project in the South Sound Wildlife Area, which you can view at https://thesubtimes.com/2021/07/16/northwest-youth-corps-lends-hand-at-lakewood-wildlife-area/. Look for more on this in the coming days.
Jim Hairston sent around signup rosters for those willing to help work on the day of the Sep. 18 Golf Tournament, and for those who might wish to have some coaching/lessons in golf ahead of that event. For either condition, contact Jim at jhairston787@msn.com.
Future Programs
Aug. 11 Erik Flint Fort Lewis Army Museum
Aug. 18 Chief Mike Zaro New Police Reform Legislation
Aug. 25 TK Knight Wakesurf Warriors Veterans Support
President’s Minute
Teresa had some more track time, going fast in fast cars. Her husband even got to watch her turning laps at the track. This is apparently NOT a picture of Teresa’s track session.
Fun And Fines
Ed Trobaugh is getting back into the groove again after more than a year of “work from home (WFH)” finemastery. As a warmup act, he noted that Marie Barth would be leaving early (some $5 weak sauce, finewise).
President Teresa Nye has racked up a cumulative $30 fine, the past details of which no one remembers, plus untabulated extra dollars for almost forgetting to do Fun And Fines on this day. She will be carrying it forward, with continually unspecified additional interest accrual.
Ed noted August birthdays, including Chris Carr, Sydna Koontz, and Paul Webb. There were even more anniversaries, including Jim Hairston (42 of them), Joyce Loveday (37), Teresa Nye (25), and Heidi Wachter (19) who actually had cash money with her on this day, paying $100 toward the anniversary and toward unnamed and unrecorded past crimes.
Jim Hairston had a great 5-night trip to Chelan, which got added to his anniversary Wachter.
David Cotant had a great 5-night trip to Guemes Island for crabbing (actual hunting for the crustaceans, not grouchiness) last week.
Hallie McCurdy was asked to comment about how is the Fire Department business? To wit:
- Last week was National Night Out, with the Fire Department supporting 27 local Night Out parties in Lakewood, and 40 of them in U.P.
- There were two fires recently in the Woodbrook neighborhood, both in apartment buildings, both apparently intentionally set. $10
- Hallie also confessed that her son, the PLU basketball player, is a noted TikTok star with 60,000 followers, which garnered him some attention from the folks at Disney who invited him to audition for a movie. Worth an additional $10.
This Week’s Program
New member Gretchen Allen is a real estate agent for Re/Max, which is the #4 broker in the U.S. She was invited to give a “classification talk” about what it is like to be a real estate agent, and about what the local market is like right now. Re/Max is a big supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network, paying for the medical bills of children whose families cannot afford to pay for their care.
Gretchen went through several comparisons of current versus past real estate prices. In June 2021, Pierce County home prices are up 22% vs. a year ago. 10 days is the average time a house stays on the market, down 46% from a year ago. Homes are selling for $30-40k above list price.
Some average prices:
Lakewood $485k
Tacoma $495k
Puyallup $505k
Univ. Place $620k
Gig Harbor $700k (up from $420k a year ago)
The average house sells for about $278 per square foot.
Buyers in Pierce County are coming from:
20% from California
12% from U.S. east coast
15% from Seattle/Bellevue
In other words, Pierce County is benefiting from the flight out of Seattle, and out of other areas around the country.
Raffle:
Joyce Oubré had the winning ticket, but could not draw a magic card, despite there being 2 aces and 1 Joker still in the deck.
And Finally…
Real estate is all about location, location, location.
