Posts
Once upon a time, some guy name Joseph was walking his dogs in the recently reopened park in his neighborhood. He noticed what looked like a hazard near the playground, that might cause injury, but was too busy talking to his grown up daughter, as they went on their way, to make more than a mental note of it.
Several days later, while out walking the same dogs, in the same park, he noticed that the cones were now being used as toys, and the hazard, was just waiting to trip someone —or worse. So out came the flip phone (yes, I still have one of those and I ain't never getting a smart phone... but I digress) and I... I mean "he" snapped a picture.
The next morning, around 8:30AM, the picture was uploaded to the Wildomar FaceBook Group, tagged in it were Council Member Bridgette Moore and Mayor Pro-Tem Ben Benoit, along with an explanation of what the concern was.
Here is the original text of the group post:
I've noticed some very dangerous hazards at Windsong park. In the image you can see uncovered studs that are for anchoring benches. There are four sets of these right next to the kiddie area. They are spray painted orange, and there are cones, but the cones are often used as toys and moved. Even at that there are only two cones. I seriously suggest the city remedy this or lock the park up so as to not risk injury to a park user. They are not easy to see and someone is going to rip up their foot on them or trip while running. I'm guessing that new benches are slated to be installed there, but it would be far more prudent to cut those off and drill new holes than allow those to remain for another hour.
I thought it best to post this in this group, which has good traffic, than to try and figure out the best department to send this to. Between Bridgette Moore, and Ben J. Benoit I'm thinking they'll know best how to get this corrected before someone gets hurt.
By 9:30AM Benoit posted this.
Ok found the equipment was being stored offsite and the City was working to get it back somehow there was a bit of a communication breakdown and it was taking a bit longer than needed. So Daniel (Torres) and myself are on the way to pick everything up. We may have benches by the end of the day.
Within a short period of time, Ben followed up with this post and picture on the ever growing thread.
Man these things are heavy!!! Ok now that staff has them we should be up and running today.
By noon, the benches had been trucked from where they were being stored, and reinstalled.
 |
| Loaded up and ready to roll. |
 |
| Hazard gone, and places to sit just waiting for park goers. |
—☺—
The moral of the story is to get involved
We are all members of the community, and the city of Wildomar isn't some big bad wolf that looking to blow your house down, or some Wizard in a far off Emerald City. Our city runs better when there are more that take an active role. So if you see something that needs attention, don't just keep it to yourself. Contact the city and report it.
http://cityofwildomar.org/ or 951-677-775.
Again, a hearty thanks to those that are working to make this city, this community, a better place for all of us. Especially Ben Benoit and Daniel Torres.
 |
| Windsong Park was getting its first haircut today. She's sure looking purdy... now time to take that fence down! |
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This is Wildomar in action alright, 26 days the parks have been open and they finally returned the benches. Now all they have to do is return the tables that belong under the gazebo that are supposed to be in storage also. Another thing, just maybe they have fixed the lights in the gazebo that are on 24/7 that was brought to the cities attention at the Oversight Committee meeting, more than likely not.
ReplyDeleteMy mistake. Apparently the above didn't happen. I must have perfection or there will be no fruit cups —for anyone.
DeleteAs for the tables. You are right. They should have been returned before the opening of the parks. I'm not interested in furnishing the city with excuses, they should have been working from a check list, and the critical items should have been completed before the locks came off.
I am not sure that not having the benches is a tie breaker for most people. I also have to laugh at those who do nothing but complain. Yet many of those same people do not even participate in functions to make things better or even use the parks other than to walk through to complain about what isn't done. Certainly if the lights were originally installed with a timer the timer should be reset, but if no time than I see no problem. The cost of lights running during the day is not a budget buster. Putting in cameras to watch for the random misuser-now that is an expense that not all parks have. and the city is doing that mostly to placate one person. The people using the parks seem pretty happy and while there are things to be corrected, there will ALWAYS be things that need to be fixed.
DeleteYes. Please do an expose on the table-gate and bench-gate and light-gate scandals. I'm concerned about some discrepancies with the gates themselves. Please bring gate-gate to light.
ReplyDelete:)
jg
I like that one.
Delete:^)
Let's bring Gate-Gate to light, (you thought you made a funny, surprise) this is something people would know about if they bothered to attend the Oversight Committee meeting instead of assuming everything is hunky-dory in Camelot. The gates currently installed at Windsong belong at the dog park (which is why the dog runs were locked for several days after the grand opening), rather than resolve the problems that keeps the ugly fence up at Windsong the city has chosen to order new gates for the dog park. Would have made more sense to rent gates for the short term use a Windsong and return the dog gates to the dog park. But, I guess that's why we have burnt through 74% of the current fiscal year budget with not a lot to show for it.
ReplyDeleteKenny Mayes
Why would renting a fence and spending more money be a better use of money then just leaving things the way they are? The only reason there is an "issue" at Windsong is because ONE person seems to think we have to have camera's and all sorts of things in place before it is safe to remove the fence. Even though many parks in the valley do not have CAMERAS, security patrols and such and yet they are not overrun with hordes of miscreants! As far as the money that has been spent please do not misrepresent the facts. .And as far as the lights-good grief is that really a tie breaker in the budget?
DeleteEXCUUUSE ME! As of March 31, 2014 the City of Wildomar has spent $221,536.64 which is 72% of the current years budget. One person has an issue (not a single homeowner bordering or facing the park signed the petition to remove the fence.) If you read and understand what I said, "rent gates", the current fence when removed is going to languish in the back lot at the cemetery until the cows come home. The lights being left on is just another shining example of the part time management from the part time government that just loves to fritter away money in Wildomar.
DeleteKenny Mayes