Dear Editor,
I wanted to thank Kathy Thurman for her note’as a Brandon Township resident, not Groveland Township resident’to encourage the township officers to put on their thinking caps with respect to the recreation fees. (‘Innovative thinking needed by Brandon officials,? The Citizen, March 29, page 9).
I am a Groveland Township resident with school-aged children who participate in sports and activity camps on a regular basis. As we planned our summer activities just a few weekends ago, my husband (along with a good friend and neighbor) had planned to put our son on a Clarkston baseball team because the non-resident fees were so much more reasonable. I objected because I wanted my child to play sports with the same kids he’ll see in school this fall. While we could afford to take on the additional fees, our neighbor chose not to’so our children will not play sports together this summer.
Many of the discussions and letters on this issue over the past months have been financially based’and for good reason. The difference i n cost for non-resident fees far exceeds those in other surrounding communities who open their programs to Groveland residents. My concern, however, is how this ‘shopping around? for more reasonably priced alternatives will result in children and families who no longer see each other on the soccer field or baseball diamond after work/school.
What a profound and unfortunate effect this will have on our close-knit communities if neighbors and schoolmates no longer play together. Let’s figure out a way, together, to get competitive non-resident fees in place.
Patty Cox
Groveland Resident