State parks more than 'amenities'IN THE editorial "Scrounging for the state" (April 26), the state park system is characterized as "an important amenity." It is important that public parks and open space systems not be considered amenities but recognized as critical public facilities that contribute to the health and welfare of our citizens and communities.
Parks contribute to healthful exercise in a time of an increasing obesity crisis. They contribute to clean air and water and to biological diversity. Playgrounds foster the physical, social, and emotional development of our children. Parks and open spaces provide constructive outlets for our energies and decompression from life's stresses, thereby reducing social disorders and crime. For too long characterization of parks as amenities has meant that they have been among the first targets of budget reductions. Only by understanding the broader values of parks and the importance these spaces have for our communities can they compete for the scarce public dollars that are important to their vitality.
PETER F. JACKSON © Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
|
