[Peace-discuss] not a peace issue but a local one / need advice on a letter to the Champaign Park District

[Karen Medina]

I am writing a letter to the Champaign Park District and would
appreciate some advice. I am too angry to be objective.

									2006 Winchester Dr.
									Champaign, IL  61821
									August 25, 2010


Champaign Park District
706 Kenwood Rd.
Champaign, IL 61821


Dear Champaign Park District,

The park district gets tax money because it works for the common good
of the community, not for the rich to the exclusion of the poor. In
fact, it would be better for the community if the park district did
more for the poor than for the rich -- those kids are already at a
disadvantage and more likely to end up in trouble, more likely to have
low literacy rates, and more likely to not be involved in sports or
other after-school activities.

My criticism of the Champaign Park District concerns the team
practices in Cherry Hills subdivision. Cherry Hills has no bus
service. Cherry Hills is very hard to access if you live on the North
side of Champaign. The practices are at 5:30 -- a time that is very
hard for full-time employed parents to make without taking off work
(which is hard for middle class as well as lower economic levels to
do). Biking to Cherry Hills is also extremely difficult especially if
you have children with you -- Windsor at 5pm is horrible with car
traffic and Windsor is just ONE of the busy streets. If you have more
than one child with you, biking to Cherry Hills is far away from any
other park that would allow the kids to use a bathroom or a place to
stop and rest.

MILLAGE PARK should not be used by the park district as a team
practice space, unless you specifically want the teams to be made up
of only rich kids. If this is the case, the park district is not
helping the community and tax payers should not support the park
district.

I look forward to your reply. If I don't get a reply, the News-Gazette
would happily publish it as a letter to the editor.

Sincerely,
Karen E. Medina
citizen of a Champaign since 1969