To the Editor,
The City of Linn continues to insist that Maguire Park is “open,” yet the only somewhat safe, accessible entrance has been locked for how long? Under Title II of the ADA, it appears public parks must provide meaningful access to everyone — including families with strollers, seniors, and residents with mobility limitations. That seems reasonable. Forcing people to park on loose gravel, climb over or under gates, cables or fences and walk about .4‑miles of unpaved road to and from the playground does not seem to be meaningful access by any standard. Not to mention the lack of signage or direction to a safe paved intentional pedestrian entrance made for the public and our most vulnerable populations.
In a recent article, Mayor Massey claimed people were “cutting through the park going 100 miles per hour” and “morons that want to run through the park to go to MFA at 40 miles per hour past the playground.” But the City installed a center gate that makes cutting through impossible, and anyone who has ever driven on a straight gravel road knows those speeds aren’t realistic. If such extreme speeding truly occurred, there should be reports of it and in my opinion accountability should be towards the person or people responsible for those “morons” actions, NOT a mass public spanking! The City has cameras and a well paid police force that can patrol more frequently our precious public parks.
What Linn has created is a serious emergency‑response problem. If a child collapses on the playground, or someone has a medical emergency, responders must reach them quickly. With the gates locked, police, fire, and EMS cannot drive directly to the playground. Seconds matter in emergencies, and the City has not explained how responders are supposed to reach someone in time.
A public park cannot be considered “open” when the public — and emergency responders — cannot safely reach it.
“The People,” deserve a park that is accessible and safe for everyone.
God Bless America!
Sincerely,
Kelsey Snyder
Linn
