Changes

==Focus of Citizen Disgust With Park District==

==Focus of Citizen Disgust With Park District==

===Dog Park===

===Dog Park===

Cancellation of the dog park resulted in its own emergency meeting in Oak Park.  The dog owners felt betrayed, and believed that Jan Arnold had unilaterally cancelled a binding agreement made after several years of negotiation between the previous park district executive director and a group organized to obtain a dog run in Oak Park.  This was needed after the popular dog park at spacious, safe Lindberg Park was cancelled by that same previous executive director.

Cancellation of the dog park resulted in its own emergency meeting in Oak Park.  The dog owners felt betrayed, and believed that Jan Arnold had unilaterally cancelled a binding agreement made after several years of negotiation between the previous park district executive director and a group organized to obtain a dog run in Oak Park.  This was needed after the popular dog park at spacious, safe Lindberg (Greenfield) Park was cancelled by that same previous executive director.

===Sled Hill and Environmental Devastation===

===Sled Hill and Environmental Devastation===

[[File:SnowCoverGraph.gif|thumb|right|350px|<small> The joy of snow activities lost because of Executive Director Jan Arnold, and the park board, led by Paul Aeschleman and Christine Graves to destroy Ridgeland Common by removing the sled/toboggan hill, the dog park, and the mulch pile, and to replace natural grass with toxic artificial turf.  You can’t even build a snowman there, thanks to their selfish, short-sighted policy.  Do not forget their destruction of our once joyous park.</i></small>]]

[[File:SnowCoverGraphc.gif|thumb|right|350px|<small> The joy of snow activities lost because of Executive Director Jan Arnold, and the park board, led by Paul Aeschleman and Christine Graves, to destroy Ridgeland Common by removing the sled/toboggan hill, the dog park, and the mulch pile, and to replace natural grass with toxic artificial turf.  You can’t even build a snowman there, thanks to their selfish, short-sighted policy.  Do not forget their destruction of our once joyous park.</i></small>]]

The greatest disdain, however, was split between razing of the more than 50-year old sledding hill and the environmental consequences for Ridgeland Common.

The greatest disdain, however, was split between razing of the more than 50-year old sledding hill and the environmental consequences for Ridgeland Common.

The latter includes concerns that artificial turf is composed in part of recycled synthetic tires, which according to its mandated  health risk data sheet, or MSDS, is considered a "hazardous waste" which require special disposal. This material contains carcinogens as well as endocrine disrupters, including lead, arsenic, mercury, zinc, benzene, phthalates, cadmium and carbon black.  The latter breaks down into a chemical dust and acts like asbestos.  

The latter includes concerns that artificial turf is composed in part of recycled synthetic tires, which according to its mandated  health risk data sheet, or MSDS, is considered a "hazardous waste" which require special disposal. This material contains carcinogens as well as endocrine disrupters, including lead, arsenic, mercury, zinc, benzene, phthalates, cadmium and carbon black.  The latter breaks down into a chemical dust and acts like asbestos.