Increasing User Fees at Parks

I am a senior citizen and member of the Santa Anita Lawn Bowling Club at Arcadia County Park. Naturally, I am concerned over the prospective closing of Arcadia park, as well as the other parks in L.A. County.

Arcadia park, like the other parks, provides an active and healthful life for senior citizens through its bowling greens, tennis courts, swimming pool and club programs at the Senior Citizen Center.

It also provides outdoor picnicking and family outings to the people in the San Gabriel area. Many of these are minorities and poverty-level families who would feel greatly deprived if the park were closed and fenced.

I would like to suggest that the most sensible approach to solving the county’s budget problem would be to hold meetings with representatives of the concerned clientele groups who use the parks to gather their input and hear their suggestions.

Our lawn bowling club requires each of our 200 members to pay $55 a year for the expense of maintaining our greens. I feel that our members would approve an increase in the green fees to prevent closure of the greens.

Other park users including the many clubs and picnickers might also be willing to chip in or endure a charge or fee for using the park facilities. In any event, it wouldn’t be a waste of time for the park officials to ask and find out for themselves, would it?

JOHN ERNEST

South Pasadena