EDITOR:

This letter is in response to July 2 article “Delta County still a hot spot for disc golf”. Really it is in response to Ilsa Minor and parks manager Heather LeDuc stating, “sordid history and there wasn’t a very welcoming environment”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The course was developed for anyone (residents/nonresidents) to play and enjoy, not to be a professional type of course.

Numerous complaints from park users prompted CD directors and county commissioners to agree to establish rules and regulations for disc golf use that certain individuals didn’t like or follow, including but not limited to: cutting/trimming saplings/trees – raking the forest floor causing root damage therefore increasing the probability of Oak Wilt disease getting into the Oak forest; drug & alcohol use became a major issue; trash left on the course; the handling of tournament money which turned out to be in violation of state licensing and regulation departments; numerous individuals or groups that were told they couldn’t use the course because others controlled its use; increased theft within the park; cooking food and distributing to the public in violation of health department regulations; nighttime conflicts with campers during quiet time; selling merchandise out of vehicles.

Dave Rivard and I found out by contacting other courses that if a fee was charged with course registration the drug use decreased; forest damage decreased; and other problems went away. So, a small $3 daily fee or $50 per year was introduced requiring individuals playing on the course to register and pay at the office so we knew who was on the course. Guess what – it worked. Many individuals and families thanked us and started using the course again (welcoming atmosphere).

This all came to a head with the mob posting, picketing that they were being treated unfairly and unjustly because now they had to follow adopted rules, pay a small fee, register to play and no longer could redesign and control the course. The use of social media and regular media promoted the Escanaba Rotary Club to write a letter to county administrator Ryan Bergman and request their donation money back. Mr. Bergman knew of the problems that we were having on the course and he and Mr. Rivard asked the Rotary Club to attend an informational meeting. Hats off to the Rotary Club because they attended with all or almost all their senior members. e presented proof of all that we were claiming with documentation, pictures and a tour of the course for those that wanted to walk it. After the meeting they rescinded their request and were in support of everything we were doing, basically ending the media blasts and the course was operated successfully from that time on.

I would suggest that for truth and transparency interested individuals also look on page A6 of the same Daily Press issue and read the article entitled “campground etiquette erodes as newcomers overlook unwritten rules”. Great ending to the story.

Rory Mattson

Escanaba