In case Armatage neighborhood residents are not already aware, I wanted to bring to your attention
something I learned from the April 3-16 issue of the Southwest Journal. The
Minneapolis Park Board has proposed to close 24 of 52 wading pools including
the one located at Armatage Park. If you've ever gone by the park on a warm
summer day, you know how much that pool is used by neighborhood families. I know for a fact that the Mpls. Kids school-age summer program, which operates out of Armatage Elementary, uses the pool as part of their programming. If there's a similar program operating at Armatage Park, I would imagine they use it as well. The closings would save $50,000, but I believe the board can find a less ''painful'' way to save those dollars.
If you haven't already, I would urge you to read the article titled 'Park
cuts: wading pools may survive, but so might milfoil' at http://www.swjournal.com/
The article provides a ray of hope by stating that the board would
reconsider the wading pool cuts April 2nd or April 9th. However, when I
spoke to Diane Hill at the Park and Rec Board office on 4/7, she said it
hadn't been discussed on 4/2, and it was not on the agenda for 4/9. She said they are waiting to make a decision until May when more LGA cuts are expected; the board didn't want to announce in April that the pools would
not close and then have to turn around in May to say they would close.
I am making phone calls, writing emails and talking to parents. I hope Armatage neighborhood residents will consider taking up the cause of keeping their local wading pool open.
By Meg
something I learned from the April 3-16 issue of the Southwest Journal. The
Minneapolis Park Board has proposed to close 24 of 52 wading pools including
the one located at Armatage Park. If you've ever gone by the park on a warm
summer day, you know how much that pool is used by neighborhood families. I know for a fact that the Mpls. Kids school-age summer program, which operates out of Armatage Elementary, uses the pool as part of their programming. If there's a similar program operating at Armatage Park, I would imagine they use it as well. The closings would save $50,000, but I believe the board can find a less ''painful'' way to save those dollars.
If you haven't already, I would urge you to read the article titled 'Park
cuts: wading pools may survive, but so might milfoil' at http://www.swjournal.com/
The article provides a ray of hope by stating that the board would
reconsider the wading pool cuts April 2nd or April 9th. However, when I
spoke to Diane Hill at the Park and Rec Board office on 4/7, she said it
hadn't been discussed on 4/2, and it was not on the agenda for 4/9. She said they are waiting to make a decision until May when more LGA cuts are expected; the board didn't want to announce in April that the pools would
not close and then have to turn around in May to say they would close.
I am making phone calls, writing emails and talking to parents. I hope Armatage neighborhood residents will consider taking up the cause of keeping their local wading pool open.
By Meg
