Payson Roundup

Editor:

My name is Bill Ensign. I am president of a group known as the Friends of Payson Parks and Recreation. There have been several letters to your paper which I feel demand a response and they are as follows.

1. Concern: That if the YMCA is allowed to build in Rumsey Park they will destroy many of the beautiful ponderosa pines which make our park so desirable.

Response: The YMCA is very conscious of the environment and will make every effort to protect the ponderosa pines in the park. The YMCA has in fact given their design firm direction to build parking lots around the trees and leave areas in which the trees will be protected. There may be a very few trees which will have to be removed; if there are, they will be replaced with trees of the same variety or as near as can be found. Please understand the YMCA wants the area around its facilities to be as desirable as possible for its customers.

2. Concern: That the YMCA will be too expensive for Payson’s seniors and families.

Response: The YMCA will make every effort to make their facility affordable for all by utilizing an income-based scale to determine costs for usage. The YMCA has gone on record and I quote from the full page ad on page 5 of the Oct. 7, 2008 Payson Roundup which states that “Seniors, families, and children will experience a new community center, YMCA-style, and the facility will never turn anyone away because of financial need.

Now, if this is not clear enough I don’t know what is!

Bill Ensign