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Keep the Rec in Chagrin Falls
(by Barbara Christian - September 09, 2011)
WINDOW ON MAIN STREET, BY BARBARA CHRISTIAN
Keep the Rec in Chagrin Falls
You've got to give credit to the Chagrin Valley Recreation Center folks for looking toward the future as they meet the challenges facing the non-tax-supported, all-volunteer summer swim and fun program.
Among them is competition from the growing number of big, shiny, new all-season pool and recreation outlets sprouting up in the area.
Currently, the Rec's leaders are looking into expanding its offerings year-round, contemplating an indoor pool, a fitness center and a place where senior adults can meet and recreate.
That's a tall order, but there is the possibility of outside help to accomplish all of the above. Yes, indeed, pats on the back to all involved in keeping the recreation center dream alive, but at what cost?
A couple of weeks ago, I got an electronically generated survey from the Rec. It came in an e-mail and asked a series of 11 questions, which it said "were thoughtfully prepared to assist us in planning the Rec program (and) paving the way for growth."
The integrity of the survey was such that, once completed and e-mailed back, those 11 questions were no longer accessible. But I do remember one of them. It sticks in my mind because of its chilling implications. It asked if I would support a recreation center if it moved a short distance from its present location. I think the parameter was one mile.
That single mile would put it on the property that South Russell village owns in Bainbridge Township. South Russell's mayor and Village Council are contemplating annexing that very land for the recreation center.
That would be a tragedy and injustice to Chagrin Falls, the village which gave birth to and raised the Rec and which is its spiritual home.
But in practical terms, relocating the Rec to South Russell will take away its accessibility. Kids walk and ride their bikes there now. Walking and biking would be unsafe if the Rec were outside village limits on East Washington Street, where there are no sidewalks or bike paths.
Besides the safety factor, do Chagrin Falls parents really need yet another place to which they must shuttle their children? South Russell moms and dads are used to it.
Folks planning the future of the beloved Rec should consider its historic location and its importance to the village of Chagrin Falls, not the village of South Russell, which has no historic imperative. All it has is land. Maybe. Annexed at another town's expense. Bad juju, worse karma for the Rec?
Those planning what comes next for the recreation program would do well to take a page from Chagrin Arts and Culture's book on creating loyalty and sustainability.
Chagrin Arts and Culture did not take the arts out of the village where the arts have thrived for decades. Instead, that organization built on the vibrancy inherent to Chagrin Falls and its history as a center for arts and culture. The take-away message is the organization has been successful.
Note to the Chagrin Falls mayor and Village Council: Now is not the time to sit back and wait to see what happens next. The time to get involved in keeping the Rec in your town is now. Be as active as South Russell leaders appear to be and ask yourselves if you need another issue that has the potential of diminishing Chagrin Falls. Is that OK with you, on your watch?
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