Children's Letters Make Officials Rethink City Budget

They may be too young to vote, but a group of children don’t seem phased by the old adage: You can’t fight .

They’re fighting and actually may have already won.

In his 2011-12 budget recommendation,

who supervise children for a free, six-week summer event series that features The groups also take a number of field trips each summer.

When word got out that this might be the last year for the program, some of the kids who look forward to the daily fun sprang into action. They wrote heartfelt letters to the Wyandotte City Council and drew pictures of the fun they have through the program.

Kyle Walker wrote: “Please, city council, don’t close green box because I like being here with my friends and playing games. We have pizza (and) field trips. If you closed green (box), we would be really sad. It is fun.”

Another letter is signed only Megan. She wrote: “Green box is a great place for kids to play at a park and be safe at the same time. If green box closed, kids wouldn’t be able to go on field trips. Green box is great for kids in the summer because if kids didn’t have anything to do, they can come to green box.”

(To read all of the letters and see the pictures the children drew, click on the PDF icon above.)

After reading them aloud at Monday’s council meeting, Peterson called them “letters of wisdom” and said they opened his eyes to the importance of the program.

“I should have done some more homework,” Peterson said. “I’ve learned something. … Thank you for educating me.”

The mayor promised that he would take another look at the city’s finances and do what he can to save the program. The cut was made in light of . City leaders continue to grapple with the shortage as they attempt to balance the budget before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.

Board of Education Trustee Christopher Calvin also attended Monday’s council meeting to speak out in favor of the playground program, which he said is a good way to give summer jobs to deserving high school students who can serve as mentors to the younger children in the program.

Calvin suggested that the city seek out organizations that might be willing to chip in some money to sponsor a playground program at a specific park.

Ten-year-old Gabby Feltz didn’t write a letter to city officials. Instead, she showed up in person at Monday’s meeting, along with her dad, Eron, to ask that the playground program not be cut.

Gabby said it’s a good way for her to meet children from other parts of town that she wouldn’t otherwise get to know. Plus, she said, it’s just fun to spend hours at a park with other kids, doing all sorts of things, including painting her fingernails.