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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Parks should accommodate all users Comment By Melody Goodboe MailTribune.com By Melody Goodboe Posted Aug. 15, 2016 at 11:01 PM By Melody Goodboe Posted Aug. 15, 2016 at 11:01 PM » Social News I was more than slightly dismayed at reading the recent Since You Asked article in which the reader asked, "I've fished at all the lakes in Southern Oregon and can't for the life of me understand why Jackson County or the Marine Board or somebody hasn't put a fish-cleaning station at Willow Lake. There are cleaning stations everywhere except there. What gives?" The response from Jackson County Parks Manager Steve Lambert was, first, "We just never put one in. We've been so busy on other projects we haven't gotten around to it. I wish I had a better answer for you." Then Lambert actually had an even better answer, "There's been virtually no one but you who has asked for one, and there haven't been a bunch of fish guts strewn about the boat ramps or picnic tables to show there is an apparent need for one." I also read the letter to the editor from Louie Alvarez, from Phoenix, who states he has been fishing at Willow Lake since 1952, and usually "backtracks to clean (his) fish at Fish Lake." Not only does Alvarez have to "backtrack" to use the cleaning station at Fish Lake, he also would have to pay an additional day-use fee for cleaning his fish there. Since Alvarez has been fishing at Willow Lake since 1952, I'm sure he remembers the "old Willow Lake" where there was a lodge, a store, a marina, a restaurant/lounge, a laundry area and, of all things, a fish-cleaning station. I worked in the parks industry for 18 years, seven of those years at Willow Lake Complex as part of my assigned department, and while I was not employed directly with Jackson County Parks or the Forest Service, I worked for the concessionaire who was in charge of operating eight federal campgrounds and Willow Lake, which is a Jackson County park. During this period of time, the campground hosts were required to hand out "comment cards" to the park users, and they were returned to me on a weekly basis. I, as well as several of the campground hosts, can honestly say there were a minimum of five to 10 comment cards turned in weekly that were directly associated with requests for a fish-cleaning station at Willow Lake. The campground hosts often would complain to me about the fish guts being strewn around the beach, the wasps they were attracting and having to continually dump the restroom garbage can liners. Comment cards were essential in obtaining the public's views at all of the campgrounds. Sometimes there were some completely frivolous comments like "why aren't there lights in the outhouses" — in campgrounds where there was no electricity — and sometimes there were very serious comments turned in, for instance the young man who fell out of his wheelchair trying to get down to the day-use area at Willow Lake with his family. The family came to me in the store asking why there were no handicap accessible trails down to the picnic area. That day I personally hand-delivered comment cards to the entire group, and I believe I collected over 25 comments on this particular incident. Therefore, to give Mr. Lambert the benefit of doubt, maybe (1) he was misquoted in the Since You Asked article, (2) He never read any of the comment cards I sent to his office, or (3) he read them, but has an acute case of amnesia. The people of Jackson County deserve to have adequate and safe facilities in all of the parks, and spending notorious amounts of money at one gigantic freeway park is not going to accomplish this. Melody Goodboe lives in Prospect. By Melody Goodboe MailTribune.com By Melody Goodboe Posted Aug. 15, 2016 at 11:01 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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