Keith Ainsworth: Name Madison's Newest Park "Robert Schuman Park"

On Thursday,  Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. Boy Scout Nate Rogers will host a town meeting at Memorial Town Hall to discuss the renaming of Madison's newest park. As part of an Eagle Scout project supported by the Madison Board of Selectmen, Rogers is offering town residents the opportunity to suggest names for the new park, which will then be forwarded to the selectmen for a final decision. Anyone from Madison is invited to hear about the project and fill out a suggestion form. Residents also can send an email to constitutionparkrename@gmail.com. 

Madison resident Keith Ainsworth sent this suggestion to Rogers for consideration, and agreed to have his letter republished in Madison Patch. 

Nate,

   I just wanted to weigh in as an ole Eagle Scout (from 1979...). I was the attorney who represented SGOD in its 10 year battle to save the Griswold airport property from becoming 127 condominium units. That group put in hundreds of hours of volunteer work gathering signatures, hiring expert geologists, hydrologists, an avian biologist, a coastal marsh biologist and a waste water treatment expert to explain to Madison and the CT Department of Environmental Protection the value of saving the property (and the harms of allowing it to be paved over).

None of that would have been possible without the financial support of hundreds of people, but especially thanks to Robert Schuman, a Madison resident, who donated several hundred thousand dollars to the cause and then later over a million dollars toward the purchase.

Mr. Schuman was not just a passive donor. I attended many meetings at his home and at SGOD headquarters where he actively participated in everything from brainstorming and strategizing to stuffing envelopes. He was truly a remarkable man who was singularly devoted to the cause of protecting and promoting the appreciation of birds of all kinds.

Truly, without Mr. Schuman's efforts there would be no park for you to find a name. Therefore, while I know the Selectman may have a political problem with Mr. Schuman (the Selectman were strenuously  in favor of the condo project at the time because they wanted the tax dollars more than they wanted wildlife habitat), it would be most fitting to honor the efforts he made in making the new coastal park possible. 
   
 "Robert Schuman Park" (and then name the individual fields after prominent sports figures in town or other benefactors).

Good luck.


Keith R. Ainsworth, Esq.
Law Offices of Keith R. Ainsworth, Esq., LLC
Madison, Connecticut 06443