Even after a solomonic offer by Assm. Lentol to keep the park open without staffing, and even after steady usage during the month of December, the East River State Park is closed until April 1. This is the only state park in the city to close for the winter because of the budget crisis–most other parks throughout the state are only having reduced programs or reducing the number of facilities open. Now our only open waterfront park is Grand Ferry Park.
At the root of this is a lack of creativity and open minds by State Parks to solutions to this problem. Does this park need two or three staff on site at all times to be open? Most would say no, but apparently this is the only way that State Parks knows how to run a park (which apparently includes keeping dogs out and closing before the posted hours).