The Observation Deck

My email to Mayor and Public Safety Director Michael P. Summers was sent this morning as well.

Stephanie Toole wrote:We don't park a police car there to monitor the situation?

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The question begs, is he still a potential threat? Or is the city and police just tired of fielding calls from him day in and day out? I really would like an honest answer to this.

Stephanie,

It is interesting to note that Grant Elementary School held its annual field day at Kauffman Park and Kauffman Court on May 23rd.

Katie and I were there.

The police were not.

Nor was Mayor and Public Safety Director Michael P. Summers.

If Mike Summers is really concerned about this one neighbor and the safety of all our children, then why did he have absolutely no police presence at Kauffman Park to protect the safety of hundreds of elementary students on May 23rd?

Matt

So...in my understanding the man who said that juveniles were loud, offensive and criminal nuisances just yelled at children, swore at them and then started a fight?

So...age aside, he is his own worst enemy?

Maybe we should be protecting the basketball courts and children from him, rather than protecting the man from the courts.

Corey

Corey Rossen wrote:Maybe we should be protecting the basketball courts and children from him, rather than protecting the man from the courts.

Corey

God bless you, Corey!

Jeff

One would ask, do we really need Channel 8 in our private family intervention.

Another reason we started the dialogue on the deck, Awards where people can see them,
dirty laundry, in our own backyard. FWIW.

Again, this is a wonderful time to look at RECREATION and how it is handled, by the people
looking to handle it for EVERYTHING.

Park closes early, no money, then safety, then childlike attitude.

Courts closed, because a person threatens kids with bodily harm.

Silence that is deafening.

Yeah, baseball, tennis, soccer, fields, maintenance, security, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Maybe spend that $23,500 on buying that guy's house, and leave rec where it is.

.

Jim,
I completely understand your point and I was on the fence myself. There is certainly something to be said for keeping it local and not letting someone that might have an agenda or might be easily be duped by the administration into broadcasting our issues. However, sometimes it does seem as if actions aren't taken and questions aren't answered until that kind of embarrassing light gets shown on city hall.

http://www.onelakewood.com/News.aspx?NewsID=404

Basketball, Tennis Courts Temporarily Closed at Kauffman Park
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers, in his capacity as the director of public safety, temporarily closed the basketball and tennis courts at Kauffman Park after learning of a recent, credible concern for public safety near the park.

Until the situation is resolved, the courts will remain closed.

However, the basketball courts at Lakewood Park will remain open, and tennis courts at Lakewood Park, Wagar Park, Webb Park, Merl Park and Madison Park will also remain open.

The children who use the park did not cause the courts’ closure. Instead, a specific concern for their safety arose last week.

From City Hall...


Basketball, Tennis Courts Temporarily Closed at Kauffman Park
Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers, in his capacity as the director of public safety, temporarily closed the basketball and tennis courts at Kauffman Park after learning of a recent, credible concern for public safety near the park.

Until the situation is resolved, the courts will remain closed.

However, the basketball courts at Lakewood Park will remain open, and tennis courts at Lakewood Park, Wagar Park, Webb Park, Merl Park and Madison Park will also remain open.

The children who use the park did not cause the courts’ closure. Instead, a specific concern for their safety arose last week.


.

Here are a couple of things I have learned:

This grew out of an incident where some older kids were playing in the courts after hours. My guess is the city had failed to lock it up.

A Lakeland neighbor - a very reliable, sensible person - tells me she isn't aware of any problems. It's just the one guy.

And picking up from Stephanie Toole's post here: the average age of kids using the Kauffman hoops now is 10.

Finally, Kauffman Park Friends would be very unhappy if the apparently unnecessary relocation of the hoops involved green space in the park.

Dan

It goes back to 2011 if not earlier. He was at this discussion between Stephanie, Councilman
Tom Bullock, and School Board Members Matthew Markling and Ed Favre.



http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=10022

FWIW


.

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

Jim,

So sad, but true.

Matt

Corey Rossen wrote:Maybe we should be protecting the basketball courts and children from him, rather than protecting the man from the courts.

Amen!

onelakewood.com wrote:
Basketball, Tennis Courts Temporarily Closed at Kauffman Park

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Lakewood Mayor Michael Summers, in his capacity as the director of public safety, temporarily closed the basketball and tennis courts at Kauffman Park after learning of a recent, credible concern for public safety near the park.

Until the situation is resolved, the courts will remain closed.

However, the basketball courts at Lakewood Park will remain open, and tennis courts at Lakewood Park, Wagar Park, Webb Park, Merl Park and Madison Park will also remain open.

The children who use the park did not cause the courts’ closure. Instead, a specific concern for their safety arose last week.

http://www.onelakewood.com/News.aspx?NewsID=404

I call foul on Mike Summers!

If the above is true, why did Mike Summers allow hundreds of Grant Elementary School students to participate in the school's annual field day at both Kauffman Park and Kauffman Courts on May 23rd?

Well, Mike, is it safe for me to take my family near the park right now?

Or is there still a "credible concern for public safety near the park" right now?

If there is still a "credible concern for public safety near the park," what steps are you - as Public Safety Director - taking to protect our families at the park right now?

Matt

Unlike some of the others here, I am generally supportive of the Mayor on most issues.
Overall he's done a pretty good job in a very thankless position.

However, this situation has been badly mangled on many fronts, and could quickly get worse.

1. For all the reasons already mentioned, the decision to close the courts was a terrible one. It creates the appearance of one person holding the city hostage.

2. The lack of an official statement for numerous days only aggravated the situation. Everyone was left to speculate on the matter...which brought out all of the numerous grievances and conspiracy theories about City Hall.

3. Today's statement only makes things worse. The terms "recent, credible concern over public safety" and "basketball courts" are like chum to the local broadcast media. There is a good chance that TV, radio and the PD will run with this story. If so, citizens from Ashtabula to Sandusky will interpret this situation as a gang-related problem. This is poisonous for the local brand.

Michael Deneen wrote:Unlike some of the others here, I am generally supportive of the Mayor on most issues.
Overall he's done a pretty good job in a very thankless position.

However, this situation has been badly mangled on many fronts, and could quickly get worse.

1. For all the reasons already mentioned, the decision to close the courts was a terrible one. It creates the appearance of one person holding the city hostage.

2. The lack of an official statement for numerous days only aggravated the situation. Everyone was left to speculate on the matter...which brought out all of the numerous grievances and conspiracy theories about City Hall.

3. Today's statement only makes things worse. The terms "recent, credible concern over public safety" and "basketball courts" are like chum to the local broadcast media. There is a good chance that TV, radio and the PD will run with this story. If so, citizens from Ashtabula to Sandusky will interpret this situation as a gang-related problem. This is poisonous for the local brand.

I agree completely with you except for the mayor being in a thankless position. When you are collecting a paycheck from the taxpayers you don't really need to be thanked.