Mount Hood Park – Making it More Accessible to the Elderly and Handicapped

As president of the Mt. Hood Park Association of Melrose, I’ll be speaking to a group of seniors at the Milano Senior Center next week. The purpose of my visit is to survey the group to see if they are interested in taking part in any activities at Mount Hood Park & Golf Course, a 235 acre park and golf course in the southeastern part of the city. Mount Hood Park & Golf Course is the largest green area in Melrose and is considered the “green jewel” of Melrose. Residents have asked our organization to see what can be done to make the park more accessible to the elderly and handicapped. To address their concerns, I spoke to the Park Commissioners recently at their monthly meeting suggesting ways in which they could make the park more accessible to this segment of our population. This would require the city to invest in safety equipment, benches, specialized golf carts, as well as providing special services to accommodate the needs of the elderly and handicapped. Before the Park Commission makes a commitment to move ahead with any of the suggestions, they recommend that we survey this group to confirm that this need really exists, and what the numbers are to justify the outlay of monies needed to address their special needs. Please feel free to provide me your input on this matter using this blog.