Update: Edgewater maintenance
After my critical remarks on Friday I felt that a need to clarify a couple of things. Like any responsible journalist this meant I had to do some research. I started with Honey Hut.
My initial study indicates that their Coconut ice cream is indeed wonderful stuff. Clearly, though, more research is needed.
About those trash cans
I made a big deal about the six spankin' new trash cans clustered around the Honey Hut store in the lower pavilion. Maybe they bought & paid for them. I asked the clerk and she said, "No, the city." In other words, the state of Ohio.
I'm not criticizing Honey Hut for what's going on. As far as I can tell they are being responsible vendors. So while I hate that a broken water fountain means you have to buy bottled water, they sell it for a buck instead of the more-typical $2-3.
And the grills
While I'd bet money that a few years ago there were more permanent barbecue grills for park visitors to use, today I counted six that were usable and only one missing. Maybe my memory is bad, or maybe broken ones have been removed rather than replaced over the years.
At this point, for as large an area as the lower level of Edgewater Park, seven grills seems inadequate.
And in case you're wondering, I wasn't joking about the Civil Defense cans. I guess ODNR gets points for their re-use of existing assets, but as trash cans these leave a lot to be desired.
The main problem isn't that they're ugly, it's that they fill up quickly and can easily be knocked over by critters (or humans) rummaging through them. Then, of course, everything inside scatters across the grass.
Whose fault is it?
I'm certainly not criticizing the overworked maintenance crew at Edgewater. In fact I'd like to congratulate them. They do a good job of grass-cutting, weed-whacking and litter-picking-up despite a lack of support.
The problem is their bosses, starting with Governor Kasich. I'd like them to give the workers more help and invest more money in both general maintenance (like water fountains and picnic tables) and improvements (modern bathrooms, real trash barrels, landscaping, etc.).
If you're concerned about the state of Edgewater and the other Cleveland Lakefront Parks run by the state, take a few minutes to read the excellent articles by PD reporter Mark Naymik. You can also read my earlier comments on the subject.
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Cleveland Lakefront: An In-Depth Look at Cleveland's Lakefront Parks and Beaches (Cleveland.com)
