By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – When Mayor Joseph Peterson created a citizens’ advisory committee in April to give input on potential budget cuts, he sought out only adults.
But letters from some of the city’s youngest residents convinced him to rethink some of his ideas to tackle the expected $1.4 million budget shortfall.
Peterson read about 10 of those letters, from children currently in the city’s Green Box summer children’s program, at Monday’s council meeting. The letters urged the council not to cut the program, as suggested by Peterson to save a potential $10,000.
The letters detailed children’s favorite things about the free six-week program, including field trips, program workers, and spending time with their friends during the summer.
One letter from program attendee Abby Simpson read, “I call all the park leaders my mom at Pulaski Park.”
Ten-year-old Gabby Feltz had not written a letter, but went to the microphone to address the council about the program. She said she loved the field trips and “crazy hair days,” Green Box offered, and since she wasn’t allowed to ride her bicycle further than her street, it was the only way she could see her friends during the summer.
“I like going there because I never get to see my friends during the summer,” she said.
“It’s very touching when we ask for input,” Peterson said, “and it’s our young kids who gave us the input and told us how this would affect their lives.”
Peterson said the letters caused him to rethink his suggestion, and try to find ways to keep the program running. He said he should have “done (his) homework,” on how the loss of the long-running program would affect children before deciding to cut it.
“I will promise these young kids that I will do everything in my power to revisit one of the things I suggested,” he said. “So, thank you for educating me.”
Wyandotte Board of Education Trustee Chris Calvin also attended the meeting and suggested looking into donations from community groups to fund it.
He added that the program is also beneficial for the teens it employs at each of its four city park sites.
“What I get out of the Green Box is this is a time where kids that have gone through our school program here can be mentors to the children who are growing up in our community,” he said. “That’s an important thing there to show them how to interact, keep them off the streets…and work together.”
Councilman Daniel Galeski said he had worked at the program a few summers as a teenager but was in favor of cuts after his suggestion to switch from paid program workers to volunteers or interns was struck down by Recreation Department officials at a recent budget hearing. Hearing the letters changed his mind, he said.
“I think I too will revisit this and see if we can maintain that level of service for our children,” he said.