Cooperative Guidelines – My Turn!

Park Ridge Park District (PRPD) has continued to drag this sad episode out for over 300 days, that’s 300+ missed opportunities since September, 2010 to make things right, to change:

to

The Senior Center issue has gone from a minor political problem to a full-blown disaster. 

When I started writing about the subject last Fall, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be writing about it still.  Yet here we are, no closer to a reasonable solution.

Last January was the watershed month.  The Seniors had been led to believe there was a deal, a renewal of their 30-year contract.  The Board twice placed the issue on the agenda only to table it until  a later date.  Of course, that date never came.  Instead, the Board issued a “Resolution”, an unsolicited document written by Boards Attorney, a product designed to appease Senior Center Members and remove forever, the need for discussion and an UP or DOWN vote of the “dreaded” contract proposal.  Of course, it didn’t hurt to have the issue off the table as some Board Members were running for reelection.

The “Resolution”, Seniors were told by Board Members Wynn-Ryan and Biagi prior to the election, guaranteed continued Senior centered programs.  Ms. Wynn-Ryan even went so far as to state the following in an email to then Senior Senate President Barb Ingolia:

"You know my position on senior programming and services -- we need more, and that's the Park District's mandate and promise, which does NOT depend on any deal with the fundraising foundation. (In fact, I'd like to have Senior Senate play a bigger role. But that's just me.)”

Later, she went on to say here on this blog site:

“I guess I didn't say it often or loudly enough: Park Ridge residents who are seniors can continue to depend on a variety of programs, events and activities from the Park District because that's an important part of why there even is a RECREATION and Park District…” and “…No matter who wins or loses in the upcoming election, the Park District WILL be providing programming for seniors.” 

The Resolution

A “Resolution” is not a contract.

After reading the document for the umpteenth time, I still fail to see a total and binding commitment to future senior centered activities by PRPD.

So how did some Seniors see the “Resolution”?  I think that can be summed up this way:

And then!

“Cooperative Guidelines for Park Ridge Recreation and Park District & Park Ridge Senior Services, Inc.” supersedes “Resolution”.

What a stunner!

After weeks of silence following a breakdown in negotiations, the Board issued, without first discussing its content and receiving voted approval for issuance at an open meeting, a document clearly designed to supersede the February 17, 2011 Board “Resolution” and to set the stage for future changes in Senior Center member relations.

Cooperative Guidelines – Version 1.0 (Undated)

The feeling I had when first reading that document can best be seen in the clip below:

The tone of that document clearly suggested who would dictate what and who would hold power over whom. 

Yes, part of that clip is clearly over the top but you get the point at the emotional level. 

Seniors were stunned, confused, rejected and angry!

So what kind of politically blind and inept Board did Park Ridge citizens elect that they could have so easily turned a simple political solution into a long drawn-out fiasco? 

A Simple solution not taken.

To solve this problem, all the Commissioners had to do in January 2011 was:

• renew the contract for one-year with the proviso that no additional contracts would be forthcoming
• add two adjustments or amendments:
  • open the building up for additional non-senior activities after 5PM
  • increase the Seniors share of the Center’s operating cost by 10% or more 
• create a committee of seven, made up of three Senior Center or SSI members or combination and three Commissioners or Park District employees or combination plus an outside mediator, their task, reorganizing the Center and operating relationships for future years.

Job done!  Case closed!  No muss, no fuss, no upset, no bad publicity! 

The Board has just issued “Cooperative Guidelines, Version 2.0” and now, Senior Center Members have gotten an attorney of their own!

The Board created this problem.  The Board continues to perpetuate this problem.  Only the Board can end it!

Press here for: this Senior writers free advice!  PRPD, should consider that advice an “Ace” they can keep!

New leadership at the top.

Finally, maybe it’s time for President Wynn-Ryan to remove herself from the board and for the Board to find new leaders who can implement and live up to the spirit of their independently created “Resolution”. 

In the mean time, might I suggest Jerry Lewis?

Why Jerry? 

• Jerry’s available after Labor Day. 
• He works damn hard.
• He’s focused year after year.
• He brings people together.
• He succeeds.
• Jerry’s a professional clown. 
• He has a sense of humor. 
• He knows how to bring BIG money to the organization.
• France’s Senior’s still love him!

As always, just my opinion!

Restroom-gate - Park Ridge Park District President acknowledges long-time crapper access problem…

or she doth skipth to the loo!

Rarely does one get a opportunity to see such estrogen or testosterone fueled fury as was apparently displayed at the July 21,2011 Park District Board meeting.  Faced with a crowd of angry Senior Center members, Ms. Wynn Ryan and Mr. Biagi apparently revealed what some PRPD observers already suspected, the underlying reason for PRPD’s unprecedented takeover of it’s former Senior Center “Clubhouse”, was not money, not expanded access for additional PRPD programming, but a perceived need for unfettered public access to the buildings crappers!

Surely you say, you’re full of it!   But what else could it be?

First the public was told the Park District needed more money.  When the Seniors relented in their contract proposal to more money, the reason turned to open access for more Park District revenue generating activities.  When Seniors relented in their contract proposal to sharing the facility after normal hours, the reason for taking back their “Clubhouse” was no longer discussed; at least until now. 

Apparently someone complained to a Board member of having been turned back from using one of the Senior Center potties.  I’m not kidding folks, as you’ll see for yourself in a moment. 

The first time I heard this complaint was from Commissioner Biagi at the pre-election meeting held at the Park Ridge Public Library.  Mr. Biagi was so animated when he blurted out this new senior-center-deal-breaker, one would have thought his knowledge of the incident to be first hand.  Of course, had it been, I’m sure he would have stated so that night.

So who did it?  Was it a Senior?  Was it a PRPD employee?  No one seems to know who the perp was.  No matter, then Senior Senate President, Ms. Barbara Ingolia, apologized for the apparent indiscretion; said she would look into it and would instruct Members to display proper etiquette when dealing with these delicate matters.

At the time, I thought the whole thing too funny, considering the significance of the Senior Center issue.   So, I thought nothing else of the “incident” until reading an article in the paper about last months General Board Meeting brouhaha.  Apparently Ms. Wynn Ryan chose that meeting to raise that messy little stinker up again.

Now, read this comment from on Bob Trizna’s Watchdog website discussing the subject of who’s running the Senior Center.  An anonymous commenter wrote the following:

“…Have you ever tried to use the bathroom at the senior center? If you have kids and want to take them to the bathroom at the senior center while playing at the ballpark, or playground, they will refuse you entrance. I know several families that have not been allowed to use the bathroom at the senior center…”.

So now we know the Boards dirty little secret.  They’ve been using the Senior Center issue as a smoke-screen to cover up the Park District’s lack-of-loos and their apparent failure to provide adequate and strategically placed portable toilet facilities, thus requiring mommies with children to go begging.   Who-would-a-thunk-it?

Now, I’m all for public access to bathrooms.  But I have three questions:

• Have any of you gone into the “publicly accessed” bathrooms at McDonalds on Oakton and Rand  just after a Saturday morning Park Ridge baseball or soccer game?  It ain’t pretty! 
• Further, there’s a school just to the south of the Center, park and pool.  Does that school allow unfettered public access to taxpayer-paid school bathrooms while school is in session?   I don’t think so.
• Isn’t there a public access bathroom directly behind the Senior Center?

Of course, it’s only my opinion!