Submitted by metroparks muse on Sat, 08/02/2008 - 20:28.
No matter the uproar in Cuyahoga County, in Cleveland Metroparks, at least, it's politics as usual. Or as unusual - as the renaming of Rocky River Nature Center is proceeding over the loud objections of the public.
The center is not being renamed in honor of park founder William Stinchcomb, or the Metroparks premier naturalist Harold Wallin, but for the presiding judge. Whatever his contributions, they are dwarfed by the achievements and vision of these earlier men. They saw the park system as their monument and let it be their tribute. This has served us well.
The judge, on the contrary, declined to appoint a nature advocate to the board; instead all three commissioners are golfers. The suggestion to expand the board for wider representation was also rejected. He is elected, but then appoints the commissioners. They will spend an estimated $95 million this year. The public's only voice is direct appeal to the board.
In addition to paper petitions there is one online. And an online following. The Park Board meeting is this Thursday, August 7th at 9 am at 4101 Fulton Parkway.
We note the passing of John Sieberling. Now there was someone whose commitment made a difference in park systems locally and nationally, protecting millions of acres for futures generations.
Printer-friendly version
Harold Wallin
Thank you Metroparks Muse for this post--I knew Harold Wallin as the voice of the Rare Bird Alert for Northeast Ohio and as a pillar in the environmental science community.
Of course, naming the Rocky River Nature Center after Harold Wallin would be the honorable thing to do...of course, it doesn't make sense for Twilight at the Zoo to feature a battle of the bands..and, of course, it doesn't make sense for a nature organization to honor a judge who has rubberstamped the presence of developers, especially Rzepka's, on the Metroparks' board, forever...so, of course, the honorable thing to do is lost on the Metroparks administration.