KENSINGTON, Maryland - October 8, 2009 - Public parks are usually the places where children go to have fun. But the town of Kensington just passed a new rule that bans children over five years old from playgrounds during the daytime.

"It's like a sad children's story," said Joe McPherson, headmaster of the Brookewood School.

But it's no fable. The girls at Kensington's Brookewood School are banned from using a public park right across the street for recess.

"I don't think it's really fair because we're part of the community too and we want to play in the park," said Jill Collins, a fifth-grade student.

The town council unanimously passed a resolution this week saying only caretakers with children five years old and younger can be in Reinhardt Park from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Since that resolution passed, Brookewood students have gone elsewhere for recess. "We like to use the park because it's big and we like to run around and play games," said Basia Syski, a fifth-grade student.

The town manager says students using the park for recess created maintenance issues and damage. The town council asked the school to pay $4,000 a year to help with upkeep but never heard back.

"Do a clean through trash pickup, lay mulch around the swings - we could do that," said McPherson. "But pay $4,000? We just don't have it. We just don't have it in our budget."

Call the Kensington Mayor and Town Manager and voice your thoughts and feelings about this reprehensible abuse of political power. Public property belongs to the public! How dare these public servants deny access to those people who already pay for the parks, simply because they refuse to pay more! This is political extortion!

Mayor Peter Fosselman
Town Manager Sanford Daily
Council Member Mackie Barch - Parks and Special Events
301-949-2424