The Observation Deck

Ryan Salo wrote:I just spoke with my aunt who lives across from the park on Orchard Grove. They have not been contacted... This could open up another can of words... This mayor seems unable to properly communicate and plan, he just reacts and reacts and reacts...

The mayor needs permission from neighbors? If that were the case there would be no McD's on Detroit or Dunkin Donuts or Value World or General Dollar.

I am puzzled about the decision making process.

Is there a process that has started and finished and I missed it? Who started the process? Who has weighed in on the process?

Has Council weighed in on the process?

Or maybe there was not a process?

I was under the impression that everything in City of Lakewood goes through a decision making process and all stakeholders weigh-in on the decision.

Am I wrong?

I am also curious about how it was decided to add a court at Wagar Park. Not to mention exactly how/where that will be located....

Peter Grossetti wrote:The mayor needs permission from neighbors? If that were the case there would be no McD's on Detroit or Dunkin Donuts or Value World or General Dollar.

Apparently he does, that is why he is moving it. If he didn't care about what the neighbors thought it never would have been closed.

You can't have it both ways now can you?

The decision making process is simple - Mayor Mike Summers made the decision.

Mayor Mike Summers' word is final!

I now understand why some folks wanted to replace Mayor Mike Summers with a city manager.

Rhonda loje wrote:I am puzzled about the decision making process.

Is there a process that has started and finished and I missed it? Who started the process? Who has weighed in on the process?

Has Council weighed in on the process?

Or maybe there was not a process?

I was under the impression that everything in City of Lakewood goes through a decision making process and all stakeholders weigh-in on the decision.

Am I wrong?

Rhonda

This is making the best out of a situation that was getting worse by the day.

Let's be honest any more half truths or e_social pranks from City Hall was not needed.

There are 4 tennis courts at Wagar Park, and some have been used for dribbling in the
past. Lately they have been rarely used for tennis. The park itself and the swings and
other things are packed all day with screaming kids.

I will let Council worry about if the Mayor cut them out. And I hope the Mayor goes into
this looking to fix problems early and not let things fester.

Matt/Rhonda/All

The fact is, Lakewood Government gives the Mayor extreme powers. More powers than
most mayors in the state. This was not Mike's doing, but the work of councils and
charter reviews over the past 40 years. Who must have believed a strong mayor was
needed. This along with other things are what the Charter Review were looking at.

With a City Manager, council would have been all powerful, with 7 or 5 council people
sharing domain over the City Manager and City Hall. But that was thrown out weeks ago.

A couple weeks ago, Steve Davis brought up the fact that the Mayor had extraordinary
powers especially with appointments. The rest did not agree and it was dropped.

I will tell you, I have to believe this entire episode would have been very different with
professional management in place. Or, they would have been fired.

FWIW


.

Where is Mike Summers going to find the money to install a hoop at Wagar? Are they going to raise the fence to prevent basketballs from going into the street? If the "dangerous" neighbor only complained about hoops before and after hours isn't it going to be important to keep players out at certain hours? Are they going to replace the fence entrance so it can be locked? The current entrance is not lockable.

Bill - there was a basketball hoop at Kaufman previously. It was located on a slab approximately halfway down the hill, behind what would have been the west bleachers.

I have very vivid memories of playing there all through middle and high school. I can still picture me shooting alone on the court and the "burn outs" smoking under the bleachers.

Corey

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Lakewood, you have been played, and trained to shut up.

I am late to the conversation and your comment came early in this thread but I "call foul." Many Lakewood residents are engaged, take the time and muster the courage to post their thoughts and contact their elected officials. There is plenty of evidence here.

Thank you to The Lakewood Observer for giving everyone a voice for nearly 10 years!

YOPP! on.

Meg Ostrowski wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Lakewood, you have been played, and trained to shut up.

I am late to the conversation and your comment came early in this thread but I "call foul." Many Lakewood residents are engaged, take the time and muster the courage to post their thoughts and contact their elected officials. There is plenty of evidence here.

Thank you to The Lakewood Observer for giving everyone a voice for nearly 10 years!

YOPP! on.

Meg,

You and Jim are both correct, in my opinion.

City Hall's response to folks like you, Jim, and our fellow Observers is, "Those people always complain."

And, yet, I must admit that City Hall's social media sites - you know ... the ones with City Hall employees and officials posting under faux names - have been on fire with folks calling foul on Mayor Mike Summers for his "double dribble" on the Kauffman Park hoops closure.

The question now is whether Mayor Mike Summers will listen to our residents and families or just smack our noses with a copy of The Lakewood Observer scolding us to, "Shut up!"

Matt

Matthew John Markling wrote:

Meg Ostrowski wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Lakewood, you have been played, and trained to shut up.

I am late to the conversation and your comment came early in this thread but I "call foul." Many Lakewood residents are engaged, take the time and muster the courage to post their thoughts and contact their elected officials. There is plenty of evidence here.

Thank you to The Lakewood Observer for giving everyone a voice for nearly 10 years!

YOPP! on.

Meg,

You and Jim are both correct, in my opinion.

City Hall's response to folks like you, Jim, and our fellow Observers is, "Those people always complain."

And, yet, I must admit that City Hall's social media sites - you know ... the ones with City Hall employees and officials posting under faux names - have been on fire with folks calling foul on Mayor Mike Summers for his "double dribble" on the Kauffman Park hoops closure.

The question now is whether Mayor Mike Summers will listen to our residents and families or just smack our noses with a copy of The Lakewood Observer scolding us to, "Shut up!"

Matt

For anyone trying to recall the words of Dr. Suess (Horton Hears A Who);

Thus he spoke as he climbed.
When they got to the top,
The lad cleared his throat
and he shouted out, “YOPP!”

And that Yopp…
That one small, extra Yopp put it over!

Finally, at last!
From that speck on that clover
Their voices were heard!
They rang out clear and clean.

And the elephant smiled.
“Do you see what I mean?…
They’ve proved they ARE persons,
no matter how small.

And their whole world was saved by the smallest of All!”

Ironically, this passage is preceded by a call from the mayor of Who-ville to his citizens to speak up in a crisis. "For every voice counts!"

I love it, Meg!

The Whos in Whoville are indeed very Lakewoodcratic!





Let's hope that many, many, many folks let Mayor Mike Summers and City Hall know that a person's a person, no matter how small, and that our residents and families visiting Kaufman Park need their basketball.

Matt

We have just received a letter of support for the reopening of the Kauffman courts and the expansion of basketball to other parts of the city from Ward 2 Councilman, Sam O'leary and At-Large Councilwoman, Cindy Marx.

See below:

That is wonderful!

Thank you Council members, Cindy Marx and Sam O'Leary for weighing-in in this issue!

I look forward to hearing from other members of Council.

Rhonda loje wrote:That is wonderful!

Thank you Council members, Cindy Marx and Sam O'Leary for weighing-in in this issue!

I look forward to hearing from other members of Council.

Ditto, Rhonda!

I'm proud to be represented by At-Large Councilwoman Cindy Marx and Ward 2 Councilman Sam O'Leary!

I remember when Tom Bullock promised to represent our residents and families, write letters, facilitate meetings, and the like ... but then he got elected ... and decided to be Mike Summers' footstool ...





I have had many meetings with Tom Bullock where he claimed to fully support basketball at Kauffman Park and the LOBC.

Where are you now, Tom?

Matt