The LAST Snow Day

Less than two weeks ago, I took my 9-year-old daughter to play in the snow. We live less than two blocks from beautiful Carondelet Park. Or, at the time it was beautiful. I noted that day, on the way home from nearly three hours of going down the hills at the ballfields, the red dye markings on and near quite a few of the trees. I figured it must have been something that I missed. I had heard nothing about them planning to take down trees in the park - the storms of 2006 had taken out several, and we had a nice storm last fall which didn't help things much --- several more of these majestic beauties had been felled by nature. I was keeping myself in the dark - I truly had no idea that a concept of a recreational complex was more than just a mere thought or set of drawings on a designer or architect's desk and a discussion that Mayor Slay's office had entertained.
Admittedly, I have not read the newspapers with the most frequency this year or last, and my online reading was limited during much of that period because for a long time, I had NO internet connection at home. This led me to curtail some of my semi-regular reading to become a less-than-regular reader of sites that discuss such matters. In fact, I read the message board on the URBAN ST. LOUIS FORUM http://www.urbanstl.com just within the past 48 hours to see more of what is happening around town - only to find that the project I was missing which would directly impact ME and MY VIEW was less than two blocks from home!!!

Not that I completely missed things. I saw some of the trees down within the past two days. Yesterday I got home well after dark - during the morning I had not gone to the Holly Hills overpass as I do most days - so I did NOT see the "civic progress" being made.

TODAY - I came home in the light --- backup for a moment...on the weekends, I go to work in the literal dark...so coming home in the light on Saturday and Sunday is a regular event unless someone begs me to "go out" in the evening. TODAY --- I saw how the BEAUTY of CARONDELET PARK has been DEVASTATED by this project...if one is to call this a mere project. Millions of dollars will be spent to build something that has not been duly scoped out by public officials, and has OBVIOUSLY NOT been given a fair amount of publicity to area residents (I'll poll my neighbors this week and see how many if ANY of them heard about or attended any meetings in regard to the "rec complex" at the park...anyone here betting that I have fewer than 4 say they even KNEW of the plan?).

There is NO WAY to replace the true beauty of that treeline during my life, and probably not in my daughter's lifetime, either. A recreation complex, as desired (I am not going out on the limb to say it was wanted) as it may be, is not going to be beautiful to a citizen who lives in the neighborhood and feels a loss in the destruction of those grand trees.

Why did I title this blogpost "The LAST Snow Day"???

I don't see myself staying in the city now. I moved into the city because I had a feeling that it would be nicer than my "near north suburb" --- which was true until this weekend. Now, I envision moving to that "near north suburb" because there are BIG TREES and a hill where I can take my daughter sledding on a snow day.

Thank you city officials:

Snow days at CARONDELET PARK are now extinct.