Feb 28, 2013 3 min read

I was saddened and dismayed last week as I came home and found a “Closed for the Winter Season” sign posted at Driscoll Park in South Strabane Township. As a mother of two young children, and living in a house that borders the park, we utilize it year-round, no matter the season.

However, once the signs were posted several questions came to mind. What constitutes the winter season? Sometimes we get snow at Halloween, with a warm up to follow before winter really sets in. Is it going to run from the calendar dates of Dec. 21 to March 20, or just when there is snow on the ground? Several weeks ago, we had a run of good weather, and the park was packed with adults and children out enjoying the warm temperatures. We will no longer be able to do so with the park closed. Even with the snow, my children enjoy swinging, sliding down the slides and playing at the park. They have spent hours playing with their sand toys building snow castles.

It was reported in the Observer-Reporter that Thomas Moore, the chairman of South Strabane’s board of supervisors, said that while the township did not mind people walking along the trails on warm winter days, the signs were necessary to protect the municipality from lawsuits arising from injured sled riders or those illegally using the park after dark. So does that mean that people will be allowed to use the park when the weather is nice? There appears to be some ambiguity with that statement that could benefit from clarification.

Another question that comes to mind involves injuries. How does getting hurt sled riding differ from getting hurt falling off of the monkey bars, or the rock out at Community Park during the summer months? Will the township remove the climbing rock? Will the township remove the climbing equipment as children could fall and become injured from those items as well? At what point does this end?

Obesity, in both children and adults, is rampant in our country. The wonderful parks that we have available to us in South Strabane provide an outlet for those trying to live a healthy lifestyle. It appears that people in the township would like to be able to take advantage of these treasures year-round. We live in Western Pennsylvania where the changing seasons have been, and will always be, a fact of life. Perhaps instead of barring people from using these facilities, the township could work on a plan on making them available for those who wish to use them.

My work in the trauma unit at Allegheny General Hospital taught me that people can be hurt doing the simplest activities, from putting up a Christmas tree to walking across the street. The township appears to be protecting itself from what may happen to the detriment of those who are living in the here and now. I urge the board to reconsider their decision to arbitrarily close the parks and work to find a solution that both protects the township and allows the taxpayers to continue to enjoy the facilities that are available for the sake of our children and community.

Jo Horne

Washington