I became a regular walker at East Lake Park on August 1 of this year. For the most part the people there are nice, and some have even been most encouraging to me in my attempt to lose weight and keep my sugar down. There are some folks though who insist on coming onto the walking path around the lake with bicycles and skateboards, even though at least two signs in the park forbid bicycle riding and one forbids skateboards. Now I realize that some who are at the park may not be able to read English. These outstanding individuals don't mind bankrupting our hospitals and school systems, but they refuse to learn our language. Others probably graduated from Hamilton County public schools. I'm giving these folks the benefit of a doubt.
Grown men and teenagers ride bicycles into the park, and sometimes parents will bring their children there with bicycles, tricycles and skateboards. This foolishness put the safety of everyone there in danger. A couple of times I've seen teenagers almost come to physical blows. Twice I've been approached by grown men practicing the art of pandering, which is supposedly against the law, but rarely enforced here. This kind of stuff makes me wonder what else might be going on in the park.
A lot of this could be stopped, if we had a full time ranger during all of the hours that the park is opened. Our city can rip off businesses, churches and individuals with outrageous increases in storm water runoff fees, but can't or won't supply a full time ranger to enforce park policies at East Lake Park. East Lake Park is beautiful and a great place to go, but if some folks at city hall don't wake up, we may just be losing that park in the near future. This would indeed be a tragedy that can still be prevented.
David Knight
* * *
Talk to your city police, that's what you pay taxes for. The city has nothing to do with park rangers, I don't believe East Lake Park is part of the Tennessee State Parks Service.
Talk to your city councilperson.
Brian Middleton