The park district’s destruction of the Pleasant Home floor is so incredibly wrong.
I am not connected with Pleasant Home and don’t know anything about flooring, but I know arrogance when I see it. To just go ahead and commit to an irreversible course of action without consent or even notification is shocking. A course of action that involves major labor like this could only happen with advance planning. That planning must have been deliberately kept secret.
It reminded me of 10 years ago when the park district decided to remove the sledding hill at Ridgeland Common despite vocal community opposition. I was one of several people who attended the board’s meeting where it was on the agenda, only to be told that we would not be allowed to comment. I looked up an article about it and found that when Ms. Arnold did finally meet with some community members, the contracts had already been signed.
I participate in many park district programs and am very appreciative of them but find that there is sometimes frustration with top-down decisions that are made without consultation or explanation.
Who is above the park district? Who in the village can do something to change the culture or even leadership and remind those whose salaries come out of our tax dollars that they have an obligation to consult, seriously consider input, and inform — and not just impose.
Joyce Porter
Oak Park
