http://www.reddit.com/r/cincinnati/comments/1e4rqt/local_idiots_push_to_close_mt_airy_discgolf/ - Looks like it's on Reddit and more than Disc Golfers are outraged? I'm hearing conflicting things though about the meeting and if this is even true? If you want I can relay it on Reddit, and hopefully we can get more than just disc golfers down there!

Anyone contacted the local news to get some air time on the issue?

[Description]

Please join us at Duke Energy Center on Thursday at 6:00 pm
Park Closures due to General Fund reductions – These closures are due to the loss of the entire General Fund seasonal staff of the Park Board of over $303,838.
• Mt. Airy Forest (West) – Close McFarlan Woods, and the Dog Park in Mt. Airy west, and close Stone Steps, picnic Areas 22, 23, and the Disc Golf course in Mt. Airy east. This is over 1,100 acres of a 1,500 acre park.
• Buttercup/Parker’s Woods (West) – Close
• Jergens Park (West) – Close entire park
• Glenway Woods (West) – Close entire park
• Seymour/Millcrek (West) - Close entire park
• Upper part Eden Park (Central) – Presidents Grove, Spencer Overlook, and Twin Lakes
• Bellevue Park (Central) - Close entire park
• Fairview Park (Central) - Close entire park
• Fecheimer Park (Central) - Close entire park
• Inwood Park (Central) - Close entire park
• Jackson Hill Park (Central) - Close entire park
• Laurel/Linear/Cutter Parks (Central) - Close entire park
• Central Parkway – No plantings or chemical treatments
• Alms Park (East) – Close entire park except when there is a rental.
• Drake Park (East) – Close entire park.
• Close all restrooms in park system.
• Only mow and pick up trash every 14 to 21 days. Currently, mowing is done every 7 to 10 days and trash is picked up every day.
• Eliminate all floral beds throughout park system. All Florists redeployed to care for park system cutting and litter.
• Trash picked up only when grass is cut. This is due to seasonal elimination.
• Washington Park (Over the Rhine) – All funding eliminated $85,000 seasonal staff and $409,166 of all other funding.
• Closure of all water elements in Smale Riverfront Park including Walnut and Main Street Fountains – Elimination of all seasonal staff of $65,535.00 and contractual security and utility reductions of $93,442 ($79,000 – security and $14,442 in utilities).
• Closure of Otto Armleder Spray ground in Yeatman’s Cove. This is due to the elimination of all 2014 General Fund seasonal support from the park system.
• Eliminate the proposed River Flora and River Grill events at the Waterfront parks in 2014. These events were estimated to bring in millions in revenue to our city. In addition, the Park Board will have to return the $300,000 in private sponsorship dollars already received.
• Close Kilgour Fountain in Hyde Park. Turn off the Annwood Grotto in East Walnut Hills Diggs Plaza in Burnet Woods, Bettman Fountain in Eden Park, and Piatt Fountains. Drain Rapid Run Park lake, Inwood Park lake (in Mt. Auburn), and Twin Lakes in Eden Park.
• These reductions will create safety issues within the park system that don’t exist today. When greenspaces are not adequately funded and maintained it invites inappropriate activities.
• The ripple effect of these reductions impairs the Park Board and the Parks Foundation’s ability to generate revenues, sponsorships, capital support, stimulate economic development, and the support of the city’s volunteer base, which in 2012, returned .83 cents on every taxpayer dollar invested in the park system.
• The Park Board will lose over $50,000 in rental fees each year due to the park closures.

Cincinnati parks are still unsure of what cuts will be necessary due to $1.2 million budget cut that has been proposed by the City of Cincinnati. City Council is holding public budget hearings where you can share your priorities and concerns on the following dates and time:

Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 6:00 pm - Duke Energy Center (Convention Center) - Downtown 5th and Elm

Monday, May 20, 2013 at 6:00 pm - College Hill Rec Center - 5545 Belmont Ave Cincinnati, Oh 45224

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 6:00 pm - Madisonville Rec Center - 5320 Stewart Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227

- The hearings actually start at 6:30 pm. Please get there early no later than 6:00 pm.
- We expect that hearings will be packed. If you are going to attend and speak get there even earlier to fill out your speaker cards. They allow the speakers to speak in the order the cards are turned in. Otherwise you will be waiting a long time to speak.

Sounds like Council is blaming the park board. Here is the response I received from an email I sent to City Council.
Mr. Miller: Thank you for your email.
The City Manager’s recommended budget does not close any parks.
Although the Manager presented an option that uses alternative funding sources to keep the parks open, the Park Board rejected that plan and passed an alternative budget that closes many parks.
City Council appropriates money for the parks, but the Park Board decides how to spend it. I’m sure much of the next two weeks will be spent trying to reconcile the conflicting budgets.
Vice Mayor Qualls supports keeping the parks open.
Ron Wahl Assistant to Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls

From: Phil Miller [mailto:localnews@enquirer.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 6:31 PM To: #COUNCIL; Prendergast, Jane (Enquirer) Subject: Park Cuts Name (Optional) Phil Miller Phone (Optional) (513)446-0128 Email (Optional) pmiller006@cinci.rr.com Choose who to send the e-mail to. Cincinnati City Council Subject Park Cuts Body You should all be ashamed of yourselves for wanting to cut park money while trying to ram the the street car project down our throat. You should all lose your positions. This is terrible. Check here for how you would like The Enquirer to use your e-mail Research and publication

The baskets have been moved at Mt Airy. It's The Originals peeps!

I hope in the end... we all remember that disc golf is a small piece of this whole problem... Keep the people that are going to lose their jobs in your thoughts and arguments as well.

I know you guys have a lot going on up there but is there any more news on the queen city ams?

So the city passed its 'new budget' last week that includes cutting about a $1MM from the parks. I've read that this could mean park closures, reduced mowing and trash removal. Does anyone in the know have the skinny on whether Mt. Airy is still slated to close or if they've figured out a way to spare it?

Are the baskets for A and B going to stay in place?

A friendly warning to everyone.
Playing Mt Airy tonight we came face to face with a skunk off the right side of #1 fairway. If you stand at the top of the hill off the tee, then look right down the hill off the fairway where a lot of fallen trees lie, it's down there. There may be more than one.
A RHBH "oh****!" turnover from the tee will put you in that area. :)

It has all the info, on the hole info tab page you have to click the box in front of the hole number to show all the pin locations.

The Survey for helping us gather information about how possible it would be to change Mt.Airy to a pay to play course is ready. Please take a few moments and fill this out and let your friends who play know. This is for disc golfers only, but they do not have to be from our area or have been to this course yet.  Thanks for your input.

www.surveymonkey.com/s/MTAIRYDGC