IRONWOOD, MI - Wednesday, June 11, 2008 - Ironwood's Little League field on Vaughn Street is something we can all be proud of. The park is well-maintained, it's well equipped, and it should be a focal point of the City. The John Krznarich Little League Field features a very nice baseball diamond, complete with bleechers; a respectible play park for the little kids, compliments of the Rotary Club; a class-act concession stand; restrooms; a water fountain; and two tennis courts that are in reasonably good shape, but could use a little TLC (tender loving care).

When I look at Ironwood's Little League field several issues come to mind:

• Why doesn't the City fix its existing tennis courts, instead of building new ones? Ironwood's City Manager Scott Erickson is constantly touting the virtues of "new" tennis courts that are proposed for the "soon-to-break-ground" Hovey Towering Pines Low-Income Apartment Complex on Ayer Street. Wouldn't it make more sense and cost a lot less money to fix the tennis courts the City already owns? The Little League courts are in decent shape. The surfaces need a good cleaning, sealing, and restriping. A net wouldn't hurt either. The same can be said for the courts at Norrie Park. With a little work and a lot less money, the City could have several tennis courts throughout the community that everybody could enjoy. Why should we be considering "new" courts on private property when we have existing courts that can be upgraded cheaply and efficiently.
• Why wasn't the Little League field considered as a location for the skate park? There are restrooms and a water fountain at the field. There are benches and places to sit. There is a concession stand that could be opened to serve the skateboarders. There are neighbors in the area that would keep an eye on the facility. The skate park could have been incorporated as a part of the "Little League Complex" much like Ashland's skate park was made part of their downtown park complex. When I think of the location the City has chosen for its skate park, they couldn't have chosen a poorer spot.
• When is the City going to learn that dumpsites are not attractive? Ironwood's Little League field is truly a nice facility. The City crews and the lawn contractor do an excellent job of maintaining the park. However, the piles of broken concrete; the rusted pipes and plumbing fixtures; the senseless dumping of plastic waste lines; the heaps of used asphalt; the broken glass; and the mounds of  dirt and fill material behind the park looks terrible. Have you ever gone to a restaurant that has a beautiful buffet, but when you go to the restroom it's filthy; it's crude covered; it reeks;  and the trash can is overflowing with garbage? Does it change your attitude about eating there?

The City of Ironwood has many assests. We have beautiful green spaces. We have a rich history and beautiful old buildings that reflect that history. We need to start exploiting those things that make us an attractive place to visit. How many neighborhoods have dilapidated, abandoned homes standing in ruin? What is that doing for YOUR property values? Of course, the City doesn't have the funds to tear down all of the homes that need to be razed. But, with a little creativity, things can quickly change.

• Offer abandoned structures to developers for free, with the stipulation that they are required to raze the structures on the property.
• Don't offer green space for development of houses and businesses until it is the only choice. There are enough blighted, abandoned properties in town that would be much better locations for new homes and businesses. When a developer takes over an abandoned building, the utilities are generally already in place. There are water lines; waste lines; electric and gas lines; as well as sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and streets. Because of this fact, a developer could save considerable money redeveloping an existing property.
• The Planning Commission needs to establish one central "dump zone" for broken concrete; waste asphalt; gravel; top-soil; stumpage, etc. This zone needs to be regulated so that all concrete is in one area, the asphalt is in another, and so on. Why? As things change, some of these items gain value. Having a stack of used asphalt with the high price of oil these days -- could be a valuable asset for the City. Asphalt can be reground and used again. Concrete can be crushed and made into fill and aggregate. Stumpage needs to be ground up and placed in managed compost site. Organic material like ground stumpage, will quickly decompose and make rich, fertile compost. Pipes, scrap iron, etc. are selling at a premium today.
• The Commission also needs to establish a "warehouse zone" to isolate business and personal storage. For some time now, Jerry Pisani has been trying to purchase City land to build a storage building on. I would like to see all such buildings placed in one central area. They don't create jobs, they don't increase surrounding property values; and they don't provide a significant amount of tax income for the City. They do serve a need, however, and I support anybody that wishes to invest in the City. If all such buildings were located in one area, it would be easier for the police to keep an eye on them. It makes sense to have them close to one another.

Well, once again, I went off on a tangent. The real issue is, the City needs to start dressing for success. There are many reasons people would want to live here, we don't need to create reasons for them to stay away.

Jim Albert