I hope you have been enjoying your summer. It’s amazing how quickly it passes. I know many of you are already busy getting your children ready for another school year. But be sure to enjoy these last couple of weeks, after all, our season is too short.
Erie County offers many options for those of you looking to enjoy the great outdoors. The beaches, golf courses, campgrounds, disc golf courses, mountain biking trails, horseback riding trails, boat launches, and dog parks are all available to Erie County residents. We have one of the best public parks systems in the country. All county parks are open from 7am to 9pm during the summer.
We have two public golf courses, Elma Meadows and Grover Cleveland. There is an online tee-time reservation system you can find by going to www.Erie.gov You can also schedule a tee-off time by calling 716-858-8585. Elma Meadows is a par 70 course situated on 6,700 yards in the town of Elma. Grover Cleveland Golf Course is a 5,621 yard par 69 course that also holds the distinction as being the only public golf facility in North America to be designed by Walter Travis and Donald Ross, known as being the most famous golf architects of the early 20th century.
Shelters are available for rent at the many parks between May 15 and October 15. To make reservations, go to www.erie.gov, go to the Visit Our Parks Link, and from there you can make reservations. Some of our region’s gems include Akron Falls, Boston Forest, Bennett Beach, Chestnut Ridge, Franklin Gulf, Sprague Brook and Wendt Park.
There are also numerous events held all year round in our parks. We are currently in the midst of a two-year centennial celebration. A reminder that accessible playgrounds have been added to the five Heritage Parks prior to this year. An accessible playground was opened at Tow Path Park this summer, with another scheduled to open at Sprague Brook Park in the fall, as well as one at Isle View Park next year.
When we return from August recess we will be holding mid-year budget hearings, something that should have been done before September. The County Executive has increased spending exponentially and we’ve been warning of tough fiscal times ahead. Mark Poloncarz must rein in spending, and Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick should present real solutions to closing budget gaps. As the fiscal house, the Erie County Legislature must, in a bi-partisan way hold this Administration to account. We cannot pass on ballooning costs to future generations, and we cannot continue to grow government at a time when our population isn’t growing and people are having a hard time managing household budgets. I look forward to having some serious discussions as to what measures we can take to ensure we aren’t burdening our children and grandchildren. I know many of you hope your families can stay here for generations to come. That begins by controlling government costs.
If you have a county issue that needs attention, please contact my office at 716-858-8850, or by email at John.Mills@erie.gov
