Dear Editor,
I would like to comment on the article printed in the May 15th issue of the Lake Orion Review, concerning the fee increase for people wanting to use Green’s Park.
It would have been appropriate to have interviewed a village council member who was in favor of keeping the lifeguards at the park, instead of just one council member who is against it. To be fair in your reporting, I think that should have been the case. The Village Council did vote to keep the lifeguards at a previous meeting, but none of those in favor were sought out for this article. Why do they think it is important to have lifeguards, even with the budget concern’s? I know of one reason at least. I had some input, having worked for the Village for the past 31 Summers to operate the park (hiring, scheduling, overseeing the lifeguards, along with rule enforcement, and teaching swimming and water safety to those taking swim lessons). The Village Council asked a lot of questions regarding safety issues at the park, and what I have seen and dealt with regarding park usage and rule enforcement for the safety of all park patrons. None of this was part of the article.
Because of the budget issues, I have had several meetings with the Village Manager, which resulted in the shortening of the park hours, reduction in lifeguard pay, besides raising park fees, so that lifeguards could be kept to help provide a safe environment at the park. This should have been part of the article, also.
We do have people who frequent the park on a daily basis, who get their monies worth, even with the increased fee. To use the park daily for a Village resident, it would only cost them 25 cents a day. Those living in the township, it costs about 60 cents a day.
I think both sides of this should have been brought to light as part of this article.
Stan Ford
Park Director and
Village Resident