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Press Release
For Immediate
Release
November 27, 2005
Despite previous commitments, James “Pate”
Philip State Park community services cut
James “Pate” Philip State Park (formerly Tri-County State Park), the
only state park in the region, will now operate at a reduced level
despite the state's announcement in September that the park was safe
until July 2006 through a deal reached with the Forest Preserve
District of DuPage County. The visitor center and tour operations
were originally scheduled to close on September 30, 2005, after the
state did not renew the $1 million grant it allocated to the park in
2003.
The state-of-the-art visitor center, which opened in April 2003, had
welcomed the public every day except 4 holidays each year. It
will now be closed on Saturdays and Sundays. This development
contradicts statements made in September that indicated that visitors
to the park would experience no interruption in services.
Rob Bisceglie, a Democratic candidate for State Representative in the
45th District, organized a rally to save the park during September's
closed-door negotiations. In response to the newly disclosed
information, he notes that “the closure of the visitor's center on
weekends is a major barrier to the park's fulfillment of its
educational and recreational mission. Many working families and
individuals cannot visit on weekdays.”
This news also raises questions about other ways in which the status of
these lands and public access to them may have been compromised.
-How was the $1 million IDNR grant allocated to the park in 2003 spent?
-Will services be cut further if the Forest Preserve District, now
responsible for staffing, cannot continue covering personnel costs by
shifting employees?
-Is there a long-term plan for following through on the significant
investment (at least $20 million) of taxpayers' money that Illinois
only recently made?
-How does the reallocation of funds impact the ongoing restoration of
prairie and wetland ecosytems?
-When will state legislators fight for funding to protect our only
state park in the region?
-If a decision is reached to close the park after June 2006, when will
the public be told?
It is clear that whatever solution IDNR and
the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County agreed upon is makeshift
at best. The construction of a park without plans to maintain it
is a prime example of wasteful government spending. However, the
closure of James “Pate” Philip State Park can be prevented if
legislators demand that every dollar spent be accounted for and renew
the state's commitment with a long-range plan. Such a move would
preserve open space and continue to provide the families of DuPage,
Kane and Cook counties with a convenient and affordable destination for
recreational activities.
Rob Bisceglie
Candidate for State Representative, 45th District
P.O. Box 72365, Roselle, IL, 60172
Ph – 630.229.4108
E-mail – rob@votebisceglie.com
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