by BECKY GOFF
Little Apple Post
MANHATTAN - On the first Tuesday of every month, the Manhattan City Commission meeting have an open public comment section, allowing members of the public to address the Commission about any topic, including those not on the agenda.
One parent, Joshua Runyan, who is concerned about the future of youth sports within the Manhattan Parks and Recreation addressed Commission members.
Runyan, a longtime Manhattan resident, addressed Commission members, explaining how youth sports within the Parks and Recreation positively impacts the kids who are not able to participate in travel sports due to a variety of reasons.
"My cost for baseball, with uniforms and everything this year was only $250, very reasonable, especially when you think of other programs in town. But not everybody can afford that, but not just affording, it's sometimes about time."
Runyan is hoping to bring awareness to the City Commissions and City officials the importance of continuing to offer youth sports programs within the Parks and Recreation Department.
"I recently just had a lunch sitting with a bunch of other citizens, there were 30 of us give or take and just kind of blew my mind that I was able to get that many people there off of a quick whim just to support Parks and Rec." Runyan says.
"Essentially Tom has special needs and a program like parks and recs really helps on all the students that don't have the ability to go on traveling, they're not gonna be able to do stuff outside of Manhattan. In Parks and Rec is important for people exactly like Tom. I learned a lot from Tom at the time, and I know that everybody else on my team did." Runyan says.
"There are a lot of other citizens that depend on a program like Parks and Rec. I'd like to come back and present what I presented to all of them just so you can see what I had brought up." Runyan says.
Runyan has submitted a request to be added to the agenda for the July 12th Manhattan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting to give his presentation, which he presented to community members during a brainstorming meeting at the end of June.