The New Fence at PH: Keeping Out the Babies

My friend Kurt and I were walking over at Murray Run the other morning and noticed that posts have been put into the ground for a fence around the Patrick Henry High School. I, of course, immediately went off on school officials who would take yet another resource away from the public. "Jerks," said I. "Who the hell owns that track? We do. And the school people keep taking tracks and fields and gyms and padlocking them from public use. It's freakin' crazy.

Seems I jumped the fun. Here's what Kurt found out:

"I spoke with [athletic director] at PHHS--evidently they are having problems keeping strollers off the track, among other things, [and they] damage the new surface, recently put on the track. So, in an attempt to keep that from happening, they are putting up a fence with access possible via passage ways that zig-zag in and which make getting a stroller in difficult/impossible.

"She didn't know for sure what they were doing down at the Blenheim Rd. entrance, but on a subsequent visit, [I noticed] a path leading to the Greenway is situated outside the fencing."

PH architect Richard Rife of Rife + Wood further explains, "The fence is primarily to keep bicycles and other wheeled vehicles off the track. Kids doing wheelies on their bikes peels up the rubber survacing on the track. The track upgrades cost over $150,000. Just trying to protect your investment. Citizens will still be able to get on the track and walk their laps. There was no intent to keep strollers off, but the turnstile required tokeep bikes out unfortunately excludes strollers."

Thanks, PH. Anything that keeps those damn babies and their strollers out of my way has my vote. Now, let's talk about the dogs that poop on the Greenway ...

(Photo: slackerchick.com.)