Young, Giglio Fighting to Keep Park Open
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Hundreds of people showed up for a rally in Allegany State Park in an effort to show Governor David Paterson the park shouldn't close.
State Senator Cathy Young said the fact that people from Canada, Buffalo and Pennsylvania attended the rally "shows how widespread the support is."
She also noted that last week she started the Save Allegany State Park Facebook page. At the time of the rally she said 9,140 people had joined. As of this posting, the number is up to 9,247.
Young said volunteers have been going door to door with petitions in favor of keeping the park open and "hundreds and hundreds" of people have signed. Many people at the rally signed a petition that was there.
All of this support really helps us when we go to Albany," Young said, "and we'll let the governor know that closing our parks is not the right thing to do."
Young told WESB and The HERO that she's cautiously optimistic about the park staying open because of the level of support that's been shown.
Paterson has proposed closing and reducing services at dozens of parks and historic sites across the state as a cost-cutting effort. Allegany State park would have sharply reduced recreational programs, including closing of the Quaker Area beach and cabins, and elimination of winter trails in the Quaker section of the park.
Young said she'll be writing to Paterson about some information she discovered while doing research. The state has accepted federal money for both Allegany State Park and Long Point State Park in Chautauqua County, which Paterson has proposed closing entirely.
"If you accepted federal money you have to keep the park open in perpetuity," Young said, drawing applause from the audience, "and if you try to close a park you have to open a new park that's the same size."
"I'm going to let the governor know that we are going to keep our park open, and we're going to continue to fight," she said.
Assemblyman Joe Giglio said he and Young are working hard to "make sure that this jewel stays what it is."
"In these tough economic times these parks become more important than ever because they're a one gas tank vacation away," he said.
Giglio says he has three small children and "this is where we take them to get away from the computer, the video games and to really see nature."
This is "the time to beef up the parks, keep them open and keep people close to home," he said
Every year Allegany State Park attracts 1.8 million visitors who pump money into the local economy, Young said. "This is very important for us."
She said closing the park would mean a savings of $171,000 for the state, which has a budget of $135 billion.
"That is penny wise and pound foolish and we have to stop it," she said.
Young said she talked to many people before the rally who all had a story to tell about the park.
"There are so many memories to treasure," she said. "We have to make sure future generations can treasure those same memories."
Before ending her remarks Young asked if people had seen the sign at the entrance to the park that reads: Revitalizing New York's State Parks & Historic Sites.
"A little bit ironic," she said. "So we're going to hold them to that sign. We're going to hold their feet to the fire and we are going to save our parks in New York state."
WESB/WBRR News Director
Hundreds of people showed up for a rally in Allegany State Park in an effort to show Governor David Paterson the park shouldn't close.State Senator Cathy Young said the fact that people from Canada, Buffalo and Pennsylvania attended the rally "shows how widespread the support is."
She also noted that last week she started the Save Allegany State Park Facebook page. At the time of the rally she said 9,140 people had joined. As of this posting, the number is up to 9,247.
Young said volunteers have been going door to door with petitions in favor of keeping the park open and "hundreds and hundreds" of people have signed. Many people at the rally signed a petition that was there.
All of this support really helps us when we go to Albany," Young said, "and we'll let the governor know that closing our parks is not the right thing to do."
Young told WESB and The HERO that she's cautiously optimistic about the park staying open because of the level of support that's been shown.
Paterson has proposed closing and reducing services at dozens of parks and historic sites across the state as a cost-cutting effort. Allegany State park would have sharply reduced recreational programs, including closing of the Quaker Area beach and cabins, and elimination of winter trails in the Quaker section of the park.
Young said she'll be writing to Paterson about some information she discovered while doing research. The state has accepted federal money for both Allegany State Park and Long Point State Park in Chautauqua County, which Paterson has proposed closing entirely.
"If you accepted federal money you have to keep the park open in perpetuity," Young said, drawing applause from the audience, "and if you try to close a park you have to open a new park that's the same size."
"I'm going to let the governor know that we are going to keep our park open, and we're going to continue to fight," she said.
Assemblyman Joe Giglio said he and Young are working hard to "make sure that this jewel stays what it is."
"In these tough economic times these parks become more important than ever because they're a one gas tank vacation away," he said.
Giglio says he has three small children and "this is where we take them to get away from the computer, the video games and to really see nature."
This is "the time to beef up the parks, keep them open and keep people close to home," he said
Every year Allegany State Park attracts 1.8 million visitors who pump money into the local economy, Young said. "This is very important for us."
She said closing the park would mean a savings of $171,000 for the state, which has a budget of $135 billion.
"That is penny wise and pound foolish and we have to stop it," she said.
Young said she talked to many people before the rally who all had a story to tell about the park."There are so many memories to treasure," she said. "We have to make sure future generations can treasure those same memories."
Before ending her remarks Young asked if people had seen the sign at the entrance to the park that reads: Revitalizing New York's State Parks & Historic Sites.
"A little bit ironic," she said. "So we're going to hold them to that sign. We're going to hold their feet to the fire and we are going to save our parks in New York state."
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