Physician Father Crusades for Sanitation and Safety in Evansville City Parks: Today is his Day before the Parks Board

Physician Father Crusades for Sanitation and Safety in Evansville City Parks

The Evansville Parks and Recreation Department will have a regular scheduled meeting on Wednesday February 2nd at noon in Room 301 of the Civic Center. The agenda of the meeting is included at the end of this article.

In early November Dr. Neil Troost who lives across the park from Sunset Park stood before the Evansville City Council to describe an incident in which his 6 year old daughter was stuck by a hypodermic needle while playing in the sandbox at Sunset Park. Dr. Troost took it upon himself to bring this unfortunate event forward in an attempt to get the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department to do something about assuring that the City of Evansville parks were managed in a way that they are both safe and sanity. Much to his chagrin, there has allegedly been no official response from the Parks Department. When asked about his experience Dr. Troost said that “I engaged the parks department and got no reaction…no engagement, no park staff to my park, nothing.”

Evansville City Councilman Dr. H. Dan Adams personally went to Sunset Park to examine the situation and according to Dr. Troost, Dr. Adams found another hypodermic needle. Dr. Troost has engaged other members of the community as well and what he has found is an attitude toward Evansville’s parks that there is a long history of major dissatisfaction with the parks. Crime, drugs, prostitution, graffiti, poor sanitation, poor maintenance, broken equipment, and poor grounds care are considered typical by the citizens and officials that Dr. Troost engaged.

Depressed neighborhoods with horrible conditions that lack the advocacy for improvement are what Dr. Troost says he has learned in his investigation. He also found other stories of citizens going to the city for improvements, and feeling their complaints fall upon deaf ears. “The problem was just simmering” and looking for an event to rally around” said Troost when asked about the attention that has come to his daughter’s misfortune.

Dr. Troost believes that the Evansville City Parks are a sign of neglect of our civic environment, and will be a barometer for progress. He would like to see the people of Evansville come out and support this movement to voice their opinion that “Sanitation and Safety” in Evansville’s parks should be a priority for the City Administration

Neighborhood leaders with particular problems are encouraged to come out and make it known. The agenda for the meeting follows:

BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MEETING
KEVIN WINTERNHEIMER CHAMBERS
ROOM 301, CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011
12:00 NOON

AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. MINUTES January 19, 2011
3. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
4. CONSENT AGENDA
a. Request Re: Execute Contract with United Consulting for Construction Engineering for the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage. – Phase 3. – Boberg
b. Request Re: Approve and Execute Agreement Addendum for Transcription Services to Include Port Authority Minutes. – Hayes
5. OLD BUSINESS
a. Request Re: Open Quotes for HVAC Maintenance on System #2 at Swonder Ice Arena. – Nadeau
b. Request Re: Award Quote for Glass Work at the C.K. Newsome Community Center. – Schall
c. Request Re: Award Quote for Plumbing Improvements at Lorraine Pool. – Schall
d. Request Re: Approve and Execute Programming Agreement with Carver Community Organization for the C.K. Newsome Community Center. – Schall
e. Request Re: Authorization to Sign Uniform Property or Easement Acquisition Offer on Behalf of the Department to Acquire Property for the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage. – Phase 3C-4. – Boberg
6. NEW BUSINESS
a. Request Re: Any Other Business the Board Wishes to Consider and Public Comments.
7. REPORTS
a. Dr. John Foster, WWNP, Howell Wetlands, Canoe Evansville
b. Dan Schall, Executive Director
8. ACCEPTANCE OF PAYROLL AND VENDOR CLAIMS
9. ADJOURN