THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505120247
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Save the green space
One of the great pleasures of living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area was the foresight of community leaders over the decades in saving the lakes and the wetlands for public use. Numerous lakes, the entire lake front in the public domain, have both walking, jogging and bicycle paths. There are many picnic areas, grills and beaches.
Vast numbers of citizens make use of the lakes and parks. I have even seen fishermen in business suits dropping a line off of a pier in Lake Calhoun, not so far from downtown Minneapolis.
About three blocks from our former home in Bloomington, there was a lovely small lake, full of cattails and water lilies, surrounded by a delightful walking path. It was a quiet place, frequented by walkers who also enjoyed all the birds and animal life in the area. Nearby was Highland Park Preserve, a vast acreage covered with hiking trails, a ski area and many deer. Perhaps there were too many deer and rabbits in the area, inasmuch as they nibbled their way through many neighborhood gardens. The banks of the Mississippi River, as it wanders between Minneapolis and St. Paul, are, for the most part, available for the enjoyment of the people. The city jails most certainly were not built on this prime recreational property!
The point is that the quality of life in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area is greatly enhanced by the way that lakes and wetlands are protected, cherished and made use of for the public good.
I understand that a beautiful parcel of land located in the area of River Shore Road and Twin Pines Road has become available for the use of the city of Portsmouth and the welfare of its citizens. Ours is a lovely small city with many positive aspects; however, we are not overwhelmed with parks, hiking trails and the like. The riverfront is covered with homes, commercial establishments and, of all things, city offices. Relatively little of it is of advantage to the public for recreational use.
If the tract in the northwest section of the city is still available for the city's use, I would hope that our leaders would have the foresight - and the commitment to the public welfare - to snap it up for educational and recreational use. Nature paths making it possible to enjoy and appreciate wildlife and the wetlands would be a great asset to our city. In the same way that children can have an exhilarating experience at the Children's Museum, they can learn to grow by experiencing the unique tract of land.
Ours is, we all know, a city in need of rejuvenation. We need new business so that we can do more of our shopping in the city in which we live. We certainly need to continue to build houses for the purpose of enhancing our tax base. But there is a definite lack of foresight if it is the intention of some to see that every last piece of buildable land in Portsmouth has a house or business on it. We need green space - parks, recreation areas - natural environments that welcome birds, animals and insect life. Perhaps just the right opportunity is there for us right now!
Kenneth W. Bryant
Portsmouth by CNB