Survey Says...

IRONWOOD, MI - Sunday, March 20, 2011 - There's been a lot of criticism and media hype about the recently conducted 2010 Parks and Recreation Committee Survey. Some have accused the Committee of trying to unfairly slant the results to suit their individual agendas. A PDF file of the Survey is attached to this article so that you can make up your own mind.

"In order to limit costs and other resources, a "random sample" of the city's 2,700 households was used, instead of distributing to all households." it was stated in the Survey Results, "Results from a properly conducted random sample should be generalized to the larger population. 240 completed questionnaires from the random sample were returned."

According to the results, 45% of all returned surveys were from individuals between the ages of 55 and 80+. According to City-Data.com, the median age for Ironwood residents is 42.2, while the statewide Michigan median age is 35.5. This demonstrates that Ironwood's population is an older population. Considering the age of the population, and reading the survey results, one should assume that the survey results are fairly accurate.

Key findings of the survey are as follows:

Large majorities of survey participants believe that recreational opportunities are limited for children, teenagers, senior citizens and special needs recreationalists.
Weekend afternoons are overwhelmingly the preferred time to offer parks and recreation events and activities.
The three main factors limiting citizen participation in recreational activities are lack of interest from others in their age group, lack of money, and their health.
The Daily Globe, friends, and WUPM FM are respondents' favorite sources of information about local park and recreation events and activities.
Although all city neighborhoods are represented in the survey data, the heaviest responses came from Norrie Location, north of the railroad corridor, and the area north of U.S. Route 2.
Respondents listed their parks and recreation activity preferences. Here is a sampling of the top listings:

Sports: golf, cross-country skiing, and indoor basketball.
Motorized Sports: ATV/dirt bike, snowmobiling, and motorcycling.
Special Events: Festival Ironwood, Gogebic County Fair, and the Jack Frost Parade/Festival.
Active Outdoor Sports: hiking/trails, dog walking, and canoeing/kayaking.
Facility Activities: watching local sports, the Gogebic Community College Walking Track, and bowling.
Passive Outdoor Pursuits: walking/trails, gardening, and camping.
Nature Activities: nature walking, bird watching, and nature activities/programs.
Parks Activities: picnics, dog walking, and playing in the park.
Indoor Activities: reading, music playing, arts and crafts.

While some survey participants never use the City's various parks and facililties, all parks and facilities get some use. The most used facilities in the city are Norrie Park, Longyear Park and Bandshell, and the Carnegie Library.
Respondents' recommendations for potential parks and recreation improvements was another topic explored in the survey. The following potential improvements garnered the broadest support of over 75 percent aggregate importance; Longyear Park Permanent Restrooms, Outdoor Skating Rink, Signs describing local history, Downtown Pavilion, and Playground on the North Side of Highway 2.

According to the survey results, "The typical respondent to the city's 2010 Park and Recreation Survey is an older resident dependent on social security or a pension for their income. He or she is likely to have lived in Ironwood more than 20 years. Never-the-less, the larger group of household members they spoke for is broadly representative of the city's population when compared with 2000 Census data. The Parks and Recreation Committee should take the survey output seriously, while continuing to encourage more input from young adults and renters."

Many of the comments added to the survey involve the way the City uses money, the manner in which decisions are made, and City priorities. Comments included:

don't use tax money on parks and recreation until the roads are repaired
Cooperation!
fix sidewalks; walking thru caves unimportant
homeowners cannot afford more millages
fix roads, sidewalks; cave trails a waste of money; open use of area
no ATVs or snomos in city or caves; more education/arts programs
clear snow off sidewalks near the schools
pave Southland Avenue; paint houses; clean yards; eyesores
most important thing now is jobs in the area
we should worry about our streets more
police ruin the area for the kids
more people should benefit, not just those who benefit the most
not all ATVers are troublemakers; we ATV as a family activity
you all are doing a great job
downtown public restrooms
keep up this type of work; thank-you
redo road by Hiawatha; embarrasing
need more places for 18-20 year olds to hang-out; thank-you
improve what is now; we do not recomment the cemetery walk
similar size city offers many resources, amenities
need sprinkler park & pet zoo for kids; hangout place for teens
parks are great, but invite problems, especially juveniles at night
need teen center, hold dances, karaoke
dog park where dogs can run free
improve access to non-motoized trails; improve handi-cap access
stop the petty issues and share the cause
roads need a lot of work
many unsupervised kids in parks
use grants and other means to make Ironwood more like Ashland
more free activities for single people over 55
plenty of room for both motorized and non-motorized sports
take care of what we have before adding new
great job thank you
Do what you want!
addressing teen, young adult activities most important
city must embrace ATV, snowmobile access, development; go forward
bullying, drug selling make skate park an unsafe place for children

The Parks and Recreation Committee is grateful to the following groups for playing instrumental roles in carrying out the City's 2010 Parks and Recreation Survey: Cadets, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Luther L. Wright High School (Advisor: David Maki); Ms. Wuorinen and her Business Education Students, Luther L. Wright High School; Boy Scout Troop 323, Hurley-Ironwood; Survey Subcommittee, Parks & Recreation Committee, City of Ironwood, and the Memorial Building Staff.


Survey Says... IRONWOOD, MI - Sunday, March 20, 2011 - There's been a lot of criticism and media hype about the recently conducted 2010 Parks and Recreation Committee Survey. Some have accused the Committee of trying to unfairly slant the results to suit their individual agendas. A PDF file of the Survey is attached to this article so that you can make up your own mind. "In order to limit costs and other resources, a "random sample" of the city's 2,700 households was used, instead of distributing to all households." it was stated in the Survey Results, "Results from a properly conducted random sample should be generalized to the larger population. 240 completed questionnaires from the random sample were returned." According to the results, 45% of all returned surveys were from individuals between the ages of 55 and 80+. According to City-Data.com, the median age for Ironwood residents is 42.2, while the statewide Michigan median age is 35.5. This demonstrates that Ironwood's population is an older population. Considering the age of the population, and reading the survey results, one should assume that the survey results are fairly accurate. Key findings of the survey are as follows: Large majorities of survey participants believe that recreational opportunities are limited for children, teenagers, senior citizens and special needs recreationalists. Weekend afternoons are overwhelmingly the preferred time to offer parks and recreation events and activities. The three main factors limiting citizen participation in recreational activities are lack of interest from others in their age group, lack of money, and their health. The Daily Globe, friends, and WUPM FM are respondents' favorite sources of information about local park and recreation events and activities. Although all city neighborhoods are represented in the survey data, the heaviest responses came from Norrie Location, north of the railroad corridor, and the area north of U.S. Route 2. Respondents listed their parks and recreation activity preferences. Here is a sampling of the top listings: Sports: golf, cross-country skiing, and indoor basketball. Motorized Sports: ATV/dirt bike, snowmobiling, and motorcycling. Special Events: Festival Ironwood, Gogebic County Fair, and the Jack Frost Parade/Festival. Active Outdoor Sports: hiking/trails, dog walking, and canoeing/kayaking. Facility Activities: watching local sports, the Gogebic Community College Walking Track, and bowling. Passive Outdoor Pursuits: walking/trails, gardening, and camping. Nature Activities: nature walking, bird watching, and nature activities/programs. Parks Activities: picnics, dog walking, and playing in the park. Indoor Activities: reading, music playing, arts and crafts. While some survey participants never use the City's various parks and facililties, all parks and facilities get some use. The most used facilities in the city are Norrie Park, Longyear Park and Bandshell, and the Carnegie Library. Respondents' recommendations for potential parks and recreation improvements was another topic explored in the survey. The following potential improvements garnered the broadest support of over 75 percent aggregate importance; Longyear Park Permanent Restrooms, Outdoor Skating Rink, Signs describing local history, Downtown Pavilion, and Playground on the North Side of Highway 2. According to the survey results, "The typical respondent to the city's 2010 Park and Recreation Survey is an older resident dependent on social security or a pension for their income. He or she is likely to have lived in Ironwood more than 20 years. Never-the-less, the larger group of household members they spoke for is broadly representative of the city's population when compared with 2000 Census data. The Parks and Recreation Committee should take the survey output seriously, while continuing to encourage more input from young adults and renters." Many of the comments added to the survey involve the way the City uses money, the manner in which decisions are made, and City priorities. Comments included: don't use tax money on parks and recreation until the roads are repaired Cooperation! fix sidewalks; walking thru caves unimportant homeowners cannot afford more millages fix roads, sidewalks; cave trails a waste of money; open use of area no ATVs or snomos in city or caves; more education/arts programs clear snow off sidewalks near the schools pave Southland Avenue; paint houses; clean yards; eyesores most important thing now is jobs in the area we should worry about our streets more police ruin the area for the kids more people should benefit, not just those who benefit the most not all ATVers are troublemakers; we ATV as a family activity you all are doing a great job downtown public restrooms keep up this type of work; thank-you redo road by Hiawatha; embarrasing need more places for 18-20 year olds to hang-out; thank-you improve what is now; we do not recomment the cemetery walk similar size city offers many resources, amenities need sprinkler park & pet zoo for kids; hangout place for teens parks are great, but invite problems, especially juveniles at night need teen center, hold dances, karaoke dog park where dogs can run free improve access to non-motoized trails; improve handi-cap access stop the petty issues and share the cause roads need a lot of work many unsupervised kids in parks use grants and other means to make Ironwood more like Ashland more free activities for single people over 55 plenty of room for both motorized and non-motorized sports take care of what we have before adding new great job thank you Do what you want! addressing teen, young adult activities most important city must embrace ATV, snowmobile access, development; go forward bullying, drug selling make skate park an unsafe place for children The Parks and Recreation Committee is grateful to the following groups for playing instrumental roles in carrying out the City's 2010 Parks and Recreation Survey: Cadets, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, Luther L. Wright High School (Advisor: David Maki); Ms. Wuorinen and her Business Education Students, Luther L. Wright High School; Boy Scout Troop 323, Hurley-Ironwood; Survey Subcommittee, Parks & Recreation Committee, City of Ironwood, and the Memorial Building Staff.