Jacobsen focuses on attracting new business

LIND - Priscilla "PJ" Jacobsen is running for re-election to the Lind City Council and focused on attracting new businesses to town while running two businesses of her own.

Jacobsen, 57, has served on the city council for the past four years. She moved to Lind eight years ago when her family bought the old Methodist church. She runs two businesses in town, Birth and Baby, offering breastfeeding supplies, and Crazy Quilter, which opened about one and a half years ago.

Since elected to city council, Jacobsen joined the Adams County Development Council and serves as treasurer for the Board of Directors of La Leche League of Washington. She has also previously served as a member of the Washington Association of Lactation Consultants, the Pacific Association of Labor Support as a doula and an EMT for the past two years.

"I know what is going on in our town and the area and I want to make sure that we stay viable and are the best town around," she said. "I have invested heavily in both businesses and plan on working in them until the day I die here. I enjoy the small town atmosphere and want to keep the community spirit alive and well. I have a lot of good practical life experience and I am not afraid to tackle hard projects."

Jacobsen said in her four years with the council, she has seen a change in the city from having to work on crisis management to now having a sustainable budget.

"So many things had not been maintained or planned for future replacements so we were forced to spend extra to put Band-aids on instead of anticipating needs," she said. "I hope to help keep us on this new track that we are on while improving things so we have an opportunity to attract new industry to our town again."

Jacobsen has been working with the city's Airport Committee to attract business prospects. She has purchased three buildings and is working to remodel them, hoping to set an example to others that it can be done.

"With the Internet, a town like this is an ideal place for many kinds of businesses," she said. "I have been doing the majority of my business online and we need to get the word out how great the low overhead is for business here."

"I still consider my most important job to have been raising six wonderful children and now playing a supporting role as grandma to seven even more wonderful grandchildren," Jacobsen said.