A $1.4 million dollar multi-use, multi-generational playground, designed to serve people regardless of their ability, will soon be a reality on the grounds of the Clinton Township Civic Center. It all began because a Mom wrote a letter and sent it to the elected officials in her community.
On Thursday, July 18th, at 11 am, you’re invited to join me and so many others here at the Clinton Township Civic Center to help us break ground on the Clinton Township Inclusive Playground!!!!
Many years ago, I was a young legislator on the House Education Committee, working with the Macomb and Intermediate School Districts throughout the state to mobilize and defeat a plan created by the Engler Administration to significantly reduce special education requirements in Michigan.
AnnMarie Ottoy’s letter, received in 2019, struck a chord with me. In addition to a quality education, every child, regardless of their ability deserves a place to play, grow, and make friends with other children, rather than be separated from them. Local communities that maintain recreation programs need to think about how they are serving all families, regardless of their ability.
My promise, and my challenge to AnnMarie, was that I would take up the cause and propose the development of a Township Committee to build an Inclusive Playground, if she would agree to serve as the Chairperson of that Committee. This initiative needed champions like AnnMarie that could convey the love, passion and struggle of a Mom fighting for their child.
Small dollar fundraisers were held throughout Clinton Township. We then worked with State Representative Denise Mentzer and State Senator Veronica Klinefelt to secure a $1 million grant from the state of Michigan. A few more individual donors emerged and then the Township was able to allocate federal infrastructure funds to the project.
Actual design and scheduling work began soon after. The video below was developed from the renderings. Seeing is believing, and my hope is that when you watch this, you’ll be as impressed as I am.
From the beginning of this campaign for Supervisor of the Township, we’ve talked about how Clinton Township is transitioning from being an outer-ring to an inner-ring suburb, and when that happens, your cost structure goes up higher than your revenue stream. However, no community has ever cut its way to prosperity. Companies and communities that not only survive, but thrive, create a vision and commit to making investments in their residents, their families, their neighborhoods, their parks and their public spaces and build the type of community that provides residents with a sense of place and a sense of pride that spawns more investment.
I hope you’ll turn out to join us as we break ground towards building a true point of pride in Clinton Township, designed to serve all of our residents.