Parks pioneer: Mary Norton recognized for lifetime of achievement with Snoqualmie

Published 5:21 pm Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Meadowbrook Farm might not be the treasured landmark it is today, without the work of Mary Norton. The city of Snoqualmie’s “rich tapestry of mini-parks, neighborhood parks and community parks and recreation facilities” could be a lot different, too.

Norton, though has worked with a will, and for decades, to not only preserve, but create more parks in the Upper Valley. She helped to secure the grant funding to buy the 460-acre Meadowbrook Farm in 1996 and sat on the Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association since it was created. Similarly, in Snoqualmie, she helped the city develop its first parks and recreation comprehensive plan,  making the city eligible for state grant funding, made development of parks, and trails part of the initial buildout on Snoqualmie Ridge, and has served on the city’s Parks Board since 1989.

“I think everybody here knows that for Snoqualmie parks to be the way they are today, has taken the work of many, many people… for many years, to have them turn out the way they are,” she said at the Jan. 12 Snoqualmie City Council meeting, after receiving the city’s lifetime achievement recognition and a key to the city.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to be a part of that, to see something grow from the very beginning to what we have now, which I think is pretty special.”

Norton’s last term on the city’s parks board ended in December, and Mayor Matt Larson issued a proclamation in her honor. He said her work and advocacy for parks and trails truly benefitted the city. “The rich tapestry of mini-parks, neighborhood parks and community parks and recreation facilities integrated with the development probably helped make Snoqualmie Ridge the fasting selling master planned community and Snoqualmie the fastest growing city in the state.”

Colleagues and representatives from the Valley’s historical museums also spoke about Norton’s work.

“You’ve been tireless in your efforts, both for Snoqualmie and for the region as a whole,” said Snoqualmie Planning Director Nancy Tucker.

“For things to get done, you need not only competence, but incredible follow-through and an incredible ability to understand the community,” said Dave Battey, a fellow Meadowbrook board member and Snoqualmie historian.

“Mary embodies everything that I can think of that an individual might have to give us these amenities.”

Larson also spoke on a personal note, about his early work with Norton, on the Parks Board. “I had no clue how local government worked,” he said. “Mary was a good mentor.”

Although Norton has left the city parks board, she intends to continue her work with Meadowbrook Farm. She said she was confident that people would be willing and able to build on what she and others had already accomplished.

“The citizens here really love our parks,” she said. “Thank you.”