Your Home Town Bulletin • July 2026
NW Landing office closed for Independence Day
The Northwest Landing office will be closed Friday, July 3, for Independence Day.
Changes to Board of Directors
Last month, one of the members of the ROA Board of Directors resigned. To fill the position until the next election in spring of 2027, the board has appointed Greg Butler, who will serve the remainder of the term. Greg ran for a board position in 2025 and currently serves on the ROA’s Residential New Construction Committee. He also serves as a commissioner on the DuPont Planning Commission. Greg has a background in management, planning, budgeting, and conflict resolution. He has owned both residential and rental properties in various communities around the United States, many in communities with homeowners associations. He is committed to working to achieve goals that satisfy both the board and homeowners. He has trained in engineering, manual and computer-aided drafting, and architectural and electronic schematics. His priorities will include fostering transparent communication between the board and homeowners, ensuring responsible financial management, and maintaining the quality of our shared spaces. He is committed to upholding the homeowner’s right to make decisions affecting their properties, while also advocating for fair and practical policies that serve the best interests of all residents. Welcome to Greg Butler who joins the board as a member-at-large. Also serving on the board are Kate Lynch, president; Larry Wilcox, vice president; Debbra Levene, treasurer; and Roy Coffey, secretary. To reach the ROA Board of Directors, email .
Get ready for a fabulous 4th in DuPont
Get ready for a fabulous 250th Independence Day celebration this year. Your Northwest Landing Residential Owners Association is a proud sponsor of everything red, white and blue on Independence Day, including the pancake breakfast, hometown parade, festivities in the park and the much-anticipated fireworks show! More information about America 250 in DuPont.
This year, as we honor our country’s 250th birthday, we held our first Patriotic Decorating Contest. The winner is the Eagan Family at 2219 Palisade Boulevard. Congratulations!
Photos of all the participants in this year’s contest can be seen here: Patriotic Decorating Contest.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the contest.
And while we’re on the topic of fireworks…be sure to check out the annual fireworks display that will explode out of the open space across from DuPont City Hall. Your ROA pays for them! Blast off happens after sunset (after 9 p.m.)
Also be sure to NOT shoot off fireworks. They’re illegal in DuPont.
Alley sealcoating in portions of Hoffman Hill Village July 15-17
Alleys off McNeil St. in the vicinity of Johnson St., O’Brien St., and Hoffman Hill Blvd. will be seal coated on July 15 and 16 with the project finishing up July 17. If you live in this area, you should have received a letter in the mail. If you didn’t, you can download it here: Alley Sealcoat Notice-July 15-17. Signs will be posted at alley entrances 24 hours before work begins. Please plan to park on the street by 5 a.m. on the day of service. No vehicle or foot traffic is allowed during sealcoating. The alley surface also must be dry. Please turn off any sprinklers 24 hours before July 15. You may call our office if you have questions or concerns: 253-964-1289.
2026 Canoe Journey lands July 31 at Sequalitchew Creek
Canoe Journey 2026-Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch is a gathering and celebration of Northwest indigenous nations. The City of DuPont is honored to host the journey’s landing at Sequalitchew Creek on July 31. The annual tribal journey began in 1989 with the Paddle to Seattle which was part of Washington’s centennial celebration. Many Canoe Journeys have been held since then with first people from Canada, Alaska and Washington voyaging from their home communities to sites in the Pacific Northwest. More than 100 canoes now take part from native canoe cultures from around the world, including Native American tribes, First Nations peoples, Alaska Natives, Inuit, Maori, and Native Hawaiians.
The Nisqually Tribe is recruiting volunteers for everything from setup and cleanup to helping visitors and serving food. Sign up here. DuPont Parks & Recreation is recruiting vendors for July 31 for a fair that will be held next to the DuPont Civic Center. Sign up here.
1843 Fort Nisqually Tour July 31
Tours of the 1843 Fort Nisqually site – across Center Drive from city hall – will be held at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 31. Park at city hall and walk across Center Drive to meet your tour guide, historian Steve Anderson. More information here.
Meet Walker Drainerator
Walker Drainerator lives on Walker Road at the alley entrance between Duncan and Brown near Chief Leschi Park. Walker is showing a lot of wear (and somebody tried to paint Walker white?) but has a new sponsor in a nearby neighbor. This neighbor has committed to keeping Walker Drainerator free of debris so rainwater doesn’t back up onto the roadway, something that happens quickly in a community with a lot of rain and a lot of trees that drop leaves. Walker needs a lot of help because, basically, he’s just a collector. We can all do our part to help Walker – and others like Walker (they’re everywhere in DuPont) keep our streets clear and our salmon-bearing streams clean. Drain adopters volunteer 15 minutes, twice a month, for cleaner waterways and healthier communities. Storm drains flow directly to rivers, lakes, creeks, and Puget Sound, acting as a conduit for trash and organic pollutants. Adopt-a-Drain asks residents to adopt a storm drain in their neighborhood and keep it clear of leaves, trash, and other debris to reduce water pollution and help prevent localized flooding. Sign up here: Adopt-a-Drain.
Remember to take your car to a commercial car wash. There are a few nearby: Chevron Car Wash, Center Drive and McNeil in DuPont, Elephant Car Wash, 9105 Martin Way E. in Lacey, and Shur-Kleen Car Wash on Liggett Ave. at JBLM. Although it’s against ROA rules to park on your lawn, washing your car there is a way to reduce the amount of pollutants in our waterways. Your car must be moved after you finish washing it. Please do not drive over ROA green spaces to get to your lawn, if your property borders a green space. Lawns and the ground beneath filter out pollutants before they reach our stormwater ponds and neighboring streams. Remember – Only Rain Down the Drain!
See something? Say something!
In addition to making sure we report any crime we witness, it’s important to report other things that happen in our city. If you see something that needs repair or attention in our streets, parks and trails, report it. The City of DuPont is responsible for streets, parks, and trails. The Northwest Landing ROA is responsible for alleyways and green spaces (usually small parks, many with red benches). Recently, a drinking fountain at Chief Leschi Park required repairs – most recently for a 20-foot geyser that made the drinking fountain look like a spray park. Something like a giant leak in irrigation or a broken water main in the street requires immediate attention. During the week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., call the city at 253-964-8121. Evenings and weekends, call the after-hours phone: 253-912-5389. You may also call DuPont Police at 253-287-4455. For problems that are not a hazard, such as a damaged tree, streetlight outtage, or graffiti, visit Report a Problem. For problems in alleyways, such as vehicles parked or otherwise blocking passage, contact the ROA at 253-964-1289 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.). For after hours problems in green spaces, such as broken irrigation system or safety hazard, contact the city, who will contact ROA staff.
What about derelict vehicles, boats and trailers that haven’t moved off your street in months? You should have received a letter in the mail about the city’s new parking rules. If you missed it or didn’t receive it, read it here: 2026-05-13 Mayor’s Parking Letter.
Register now for fall pre-kindergarten programs at Steilacoom Community Center
Junior Explorers: Come explore with us! This class prepares children, 4-6 years old, for kindergarten. The Junior Explorers is a play-based program that focuses on STEM, art, social-emotional development, and school success. Children will learn self-help skills, play outside, go on field trips, interact with seniors in the community, make new friends, and so much more!
Little Explorers: Little Explorers was created for 3- and 4 year-olds to have a first-time preschool experience. Children will be introduced to a classroom environment, but with lots of playtime that includes building, art, outside, singing and dancing. They will learn self-help skills, how to share, cooperate and communicate, while making new friends.
Programs are led by Melody Davis. For more information and to register, visit Town of Steilacoom Youth Program.
Northwest Landing Events
Board of Directors – 3 p.m. • Wednesday • July 22 – via Zoom– reservations required by July 20. Call 253-964-1289 or email to reserve. On Zoom. Please contact staff at if you have questions or concerns a violation notice or want to report a problem with a Northwest Landing property. Board meetings scheduled for 2026: August 20-3 p.m., October 7-5:30 p.m., December 17-3 p.m.
Property Improvement Committee (PIC) – meetings are scheduled at 5:30 p.m. – 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, plus March 31, June 30, and September 29. Except for underground irrigation systems, this committee must review all exterior modifications, including painting, roofing, adding central air conditioning, heat pump or solar panels, fences, sheds, patio covers, decks, landscape renovations, adding or removing trees. Some projects may also require a city permit. Underground irrigation systems require a city permit. Property Improvement forms can be downloaded from the homeowner’s portal on the website. Go to Member Logins. After you login, click on Documents, then open the folder Property Improvement Committee Forms. Call 253-964-1289 if you need help finding PIC forms.
Residential New Construction Committee (RNCC) – meetings are scheduled at 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. as necessary – 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, plus March 31, June 30, and September 29. This committee must review all new construction, for example a home addition, or a new home, and appeals of decisions made by the Property Improvement Committee.
Dear ROA,
I moved out of my home at Northwest Landing some time ago, and now I am renting it out. I live out of state and just received an email from you that I have an overdue balance on my account. I make my payment to the association every month. I learned that the balance on my account was due to compliance fines charged to my account. When I told your staff that I should not be charged these fines because I never received any of the notices, I learned that they were mailing them to our old address. Now there are late fees and administrative fees charged to my account because of the balance that is directly related to the compliance fines. They said that they never received an updated mailing address from us. It’s not my fault, and I still don’t think I should be charged, if I never received any notice of these compliance issues and fines.
– Unfairly charged
Dear Charged,
It’s important that we always have your current mailing address. If we don’t, notices will go to your last known address. About half of the homes in Northwest Landing are rentals with many owners living somewhere other than DuPont. If your property looks bad enough to warrant having letters sent to you about them, charges can add up, leaving you unaware that all of this is piling up. If you move out of your home and rent it out, make sure you have a property manager who is maintaining your property to the association’s standards. If you are self-managing the rental, make sure to inspect it regularly and make sure it is well maintained. Have a maintenance plan in place. Don’t wait until the association sends you a notice because, by the time a notice is sent, a property already does not meet the association’s standards. When this becomes a common practice among absentee owners, our community as a whole looks bad. It can also have a negative effect on our property values. Doing this is unfair and disrespectful to your neighbors who regularly maintain their property. Although making sure we have a current address is your responsibility, we recognize how hectic it can be when moving. In our effort to help owners, when we receive returned mail, we send an email to the owner to request that they update the mailing address. If we don’t have an email address for you, that adds to the problem. Please be sure to reply to our email with your correct mailing address. We also work with owners who may not have been aware of a condition of their property, so please be kind while we are trying to help you. Also, please know that if we find a violation at your rental property, a notice is sent to both the physical address and the mailing address we have on file for you.
Have a question for Ask ROA? Send a message to
Lawns: Kevan Crouse with Premier Landcare gave some lawn advice to residents who attended our lawn workshop on June 17. A beautiful, healthy disease-free and weed-free lawn is easy to achieve by following a program of regular care. Grass in western Washington usually doesn’t grow much during the colder months. Then it’s spring and lawns turn into jungles! Mid-April through mid-May is the time for lawn fertilizing and reseeding. Northwest Landing front yards are required to be 50 percent grass or evergreen ground cover.
Kevan recommends that lawns get at least one inch of water per week to stay green. To measure the amount, set a small can where you are watering and measure the amount of water in the can after watering for 15-20 minutes. The best times to plant grass seed is fall until frost or very early spring to take advantage of rainfall. You may allow your lawn to go dormant in the summer but be sure to water at least once a month, so it doesn’t completely die. Also be sure to remove weeds. The Pierce County Conservation District has some helpful tips for a “golden lawn.” Healthy lawns need regular weeding, keep lawn clear of moss, clover and dandelions. Repair and reseed bare spots. Mow lawns to maintain a height less than four inches. The Oregon State University Extension Service recommends mowing to 2 to 2.5 inches. Edge lawns along driveways, curbs, and sidewalks. All lawn clippings blown onto streets, driveways, and sidewalks should be removed after mowing. Do not dump lawn and tree clippings in the woods! You may think that’s a natural way to manage yard waste but it is a fire hazard and you may be introducing weeds to the woods. It’s also a federal offense on the west side of DuPont, where woodlands are part of the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Also see Washington State University’s Home Lawn Guide. Washington State University’s suggested timeline for fertilizing lawns in western Washington is November 15–December 7, April 15, June 15, and September 1.
Shrubs, trees and flowers need water here in summer. Maybe before moving to Washington, you thought it rains here all the time. Washington is the Evergreen State, right? Interestingly, the region around Puget Sound has more of a Mediterranean climate – lots of rain in winter. But we have dry summers. Make sure to water shrubs and trees so it reaches the roots. One way to do that while conserving water is to use a soaker hose, which slowly waters plants at ground level. Watering tips from Swansons Nursery.
Gardening resources for Washington state – flower beds, fruits, lawns, pest management, and more.
If you have suggestions about plants and plant care for the bulletin, email
Many of us moved from other parts of the country where the plants we see here in Washington were considered to be wildflower. Here it might be considered to be a weed.
Okay, so here’s a tough one. Are either of these flowers weeds or wildflowers? On the left is oxeye daisy – Leucanthemum vulgar. On the right is common yarrow – Achillea millefolium. Both are common throughout western Washington. Native to Europe, oxeye daisy was introduced into the United States as an ornamental in the 1800s. Unfortunately, like some other garden escapees, oxeye daisy is considered to be an invasive weed. The National Park Service warns that the plant quickly takes the place of native wildflowers. The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board says that oxeye daisies aggressively invade farm fields and displace crops and grazing plants for farm animals, which won’t eat daisies.
Yarrow, on the other hand, can be either a native Washington flower or introduced. It is not classified as invasive or noxious. In fact, it is a medicinal herb. Many Pacific Northwest tribes have used yarrow to treat burns and even some lung and gastrointestinal problems. Learn more about yarrow at the Washington Native Plant Society website.
City of DuPont Events
Teen Programs • Dungeons & Dragons Club, Thursdays, 4:30-6:30 p.m. • Knitting Club, Sundays, 10-11 a.m.
Youth Sports • Ages 3-14 • T-ball, baseball, soccer and more
4th of July Hometown Celebration • Pancake Breakfast, 8-11 a.m. • Independence Day Parade, 10 a.m. • Clocktower Park Celebration, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., live music, food, games, vendors and more • Fireworks begin at dusk (after 9 p.m.) • before the show: activities for kids, concessions and 7:30 p.m. family movie screening of Disney Pixar’s “Up” in the DuPont fire station. Check the webpage for parking/spectator map and event details.
5th of July Walk & Talk • 1 p.m. • meet at city hall • learn about the first recorded American Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi, by the U.S. Exploring Expedition led by Lt. Charles Wilkes.
DuPont Farmers Market • Thursdays • July 16 & 23 • 3-7 p.m.
Kid Vendor Day at DuPont Farmers Market • Thursday • July 23 • kids under age 17 can showcase their creativity, sell handmade goods, and gain real-world experience in a fun, supportive environment. Vendor spaces are $10 (10×10 feet), and participants must bring their own table and tent.
Reptile Lady at DuPont Farmers Market • Thursday • July 23 • 5 p.m. • meet exotic reptiles from around the world.
Concerts in the Park • Thursdays • July 16 & 23 • 6:30 p.m. • Clocktower Park
New Exhibits at DuPont History Museum • Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19 • 1-4 p.m. • presentation at 1:30 p.m. • 207 Barksdale • Be first to see two new museum exhibits: “First Steam on the Sound,” featuring Hudson Bay Company’s SS Beaver, and a look at DuPont through the centuries.
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