Long Range Plans (Part 2)

Waaay back in July, I posted an entry in which I said the Park Ranger asked me to think about what the park could look like in the future. Well, in did that.

I imagined two new greenhouses that could also be used as shop and equipment storage areas, a trail system through undeveloped areas with exercise stations and water features, playgrounds for senior citizens, climbing boulders, a trail system that leads from the park to downtown and the marina, a gift shop, nighttime lighting so the park can remain open after dusk, and perhaps a covered swimming pool. Interestingly, I found blueprints for an Olympic-size swimming pool at the park that was never built. The blueprint was dated July, 1946!

I have no idea what the Ranger will do with any of my ideas. Unfortunately, the State Parks Commission makes most major decisions and they don't appear to be very interested in hearing from individual park Rangers. I say that because of the following: The commissioners are coming to visit our park next Friday. In anticipation of their visit, the Ranger started putting together a presentation and asked his Canadian counter-part to join in. But when the Ranger notified his boss of his intention, he was told, "You can probably talk to the commissioners while they walk from the parking lot the Peace Arch and back, but they don't intend to spend any more time at the park than it takes to see the Arch."

Okay... in other words, they are coming to the park so they can say they visited the park but they don't actually want to know anything more about the park than that it still exists.

Too too busy and too too self-important.

I wonder if anyone outside the park ever saw those 1946 swimming pool blueprints.