Save Garrett Park Community Center!
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From: Your Name <you@example.com>
To: councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.trachtenberg@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov Garrett-park@comcast.net
Subject: Save Garrett Park Community Center!
I am a supporter of the Garrett Park Nursery School and the Garrett Park Community Center (also known as the "Garrett Park Estates Recreation Center"), and I write to urge you to spare the Garrett Park Estates Community Center and make sure that Department of Parks has the funds necessary to make important repairs.
The building was built in large measure by the citizens of Garrett Park and has played a critical role in the history of the Town and this County. Moreover, as the home of a cooperative nursery school, it is a living monument to the cooperative spirit of those who sacrificed their nights, weekends, and hard earned money to see the dream of a Garrett Park Community Center realized. For over 50 years, the Garrett Park Community Center has been the home of the Garrett Park Cooperative Nursery School and numerous boy and girl scout troops. The future of the Community Center and the Garrett Park Nursery school is now in serious jeopardy because of proposed cuts to the Department of Parks 2009 budget.
In order to meet the expectations of the County Council, the Department of Parks has suggested, but not recommended, making cuts to some of the Department's core functions. One of the proposals is to "transfer or demolish" 23 recreation centers and three ancillary buildings, including Garrett Park's. We ask that you reject this suggestion and work to preserve a building that is critical to the education of the children of Garrett Park and its surrounding communities.
For the past year, the parents of children in the Nursery School, as well as, the citizens of the Garrett Park and its neighboring communities have been working with the staff of the Department of Parks to ensure the preservation of the Community Center. Last summer, the staff of the Department of Parks made a preliminary recommendation to the Planning Board that a number of recreation centers, including Garrett Park's, be transferred or demolished. This recommendation was made without first seeking community input and focused only on the condition of the building (which had suffered from years of neglect by the Department of Parks) and the hours of usage of the building. Once the Department sought input from the community, it soon saw the error of its ways and acknowledged that any final recommendation concerning the future of the building (and other such Recreation Centers) should take into account the value and importance of the building to the community. Moreover, once the "community value" factor was considered for the Garrett Park Estates Recreation Center, it was clear the building should be preserved and properly maintained.
Mary Bradford, Director of the Department of Parks, committed to the Garrett Park Nursery School that it could continue to operate out of the building until, at least 2010, absent any finding during recent structural testing of the building of a structural flaw or defect that posed an imminent life safety issue. Based on that commitment, the Nursery School provided assurances to the parents of its current students and recruited prospective students. Without the building, the Garrett Park Nursery School has nowhere to go, and the parents of its students will be left scrambling to find schools for their children to attend.
Please reject this short-sighted proposal and fund the continued operation and vital repairs to the Garrett Park Community Center.
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
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Campaign (<em>1138</em>): <em>Save Garrett Park Community Center!</em>
Learn more about this campaign here: <em>http://www.citizenspeak.org/node/1138</em>
--
This campaign was created with CitizenSpeak. Visit us online at http://citizenspeak.org
To: councilmember.berliner@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.ervin@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.trachtenberg@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.elrich@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.floreen@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.leventhal@montgomerycountymd.gov, councilmember.andrews@montgomerycountymd.gov Garrett-park@comcast.net
Subject: Save Garrett Park Community Center!
I am a supporter of the Garrett Park Nursery School and the Garrett Park Community Center (also known as the "Garrett Park Estates Recreation Center"), and I write to urge you to spare the Garrett Park Estates Community Center and make sure that Department of Parks has the funds necessary to make important repairs.
The building was built in large measure by the citizens of Garrett Park and has played a critical role in the history of the Town and this County. Moreover, as the home of a cooperative nursery school, it is a living monument to the cooperative spirit of those who sacrificed their nights, weekends, and hard earned money to see the dream of a Garrett Park Community Center realized. For over 50 years, the Garrett Park Community Center has been the home of the Garrett Park Cooperative Nursery School and numerous boy and girl scout troops. The future of the Community Center and the Garrett Park Nursery school is now in serious jeopardy because of proposed cuts to the Department of Parks 2009 budget.
In order to meet the expectations of the County Council, the Department of Parks has suggested, but not recommended, making cuts to some of the Department's core functions. One of the proposals is to "transfer or demolish" 23 recreation centers and three ancillary buildings, including Garrett Park's. We ask that you reject this suggestion and work to preserve a building that is critical to the education of the children of Garrett Park and its surrounding communities.
For the past year, the parents of children in the Nursery School, as well as, the citizens of the Garrett Park and its neighboring communities have been working with the staff of the Department of Parks to ensure the preservation of the Community Center. Last summer, the staff of the Department of Parks made a preliminary recommendation to the Planning Board that a number of recreation centers, including Garrett Park's, be transferred or demolished. This recommendation was made without first seeking community input and focused only on the condition of the building (which had suffered from years of neglect by the Department of Parks) and the hours of usage of the building. Once the Department sought input from the community, it soon saw the error of its ways and acknowledged that any final recommendation concerning the future of the building (and other such Recreation Centers) should take into account the value and importance of the building to the community. Moreover, once the "community value" factor was considered for the Garrett Park Estates Recreation Center, it was clear the building should be preserved and properly maintained.
Mary Bradford, Director of the Department of Parks, committed to the Garrett Park Nursery School that it could continue to operate out of the building until, at least 2010, absent any finding during recent structural testing of the building of a structural flaw or defect that posed an imminent life safety issue. Based on that commitment, the Nursery School provided assurances to the parents of its current students and recruited prospective students. Without the building, the Garrett Park Nursery School has nowhere to go, and the parents of its students will be left scrambling to find schools for their children to attend.
Please reject this short-sighted proposal and fund the continued operation and vital repairs to the Garrett Park Community Center.
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
--
Campaign (<em>1138</em>): <em>Save Garrett Park Community Center!</em>
Learn more about this campaign here: <em>http://www.citizenspeak.org/node/1138</em>
--
This campaign was created with CitizenSpeak. Visit us online at http://citizenspeak.org
