Residents become attached to parts of communities. When government takes a building away, it will cause a ruckus - which has proven true in Trenton.

There are some stories you just expect to hear complaints about. This one was no different, however, the complaints coming through to me are not what I thought they would be. And there's a lot more.

I was going to write my post today about an event that happened a few weeks ago, but after the amount of feedback I've had on this story I just have to share. The story ran in The News-Herald last week and is on the website.

About three weeks ago I received a phone call from a woman with the Trenton Cooperation Preschool. She said the school's building was closed and they were having a farewell gathering.

Little did I know the anger residents in the area were feeling.

The building, Haas Park community building, has been in the city for over a half-century. Not only was it home to the preschool, it was also rented for indoor parties.

The City Council took a bus tour of several buildings in the city to inspect them. When they got to Haas Park they were not pleased with their inspection. They were unaware of how severe the building's issues were.


My thoughts on the building?

I parked and started walking up. It became obvious very quick that the porch isn't the sturdiest. It appears to have not been painted or tended to in years. I kept walking. The sides have graffiti sprayed all over. I continued.

Then, I stopped in my tracks. The back of the building has gaping holes. Gross, gaping holes. The building looks like it's rotting away.

I was taken aback by it.

Residents near the building are upset with the City Council for voting to close and eventually demolish the building and they're taking it out on me. I understand their concern. For over 50 years this was the community building that they had birthday parties and family reunions in. No one wants to lose the building holding those memories.

However, there's no way that this building is safe for anyone - especially children - to be in. There are asbestos-containing materials, holes big enough for mice and other rodents to crawl in and out of and the building is flat-out rotting.

How the state of Michigan approved the Trenton Co-Op to have a preschool there is beyond me. And it scares me.

Of course, I've received my fair share of angry emails, phone calls and comments at the park about the coverage. Residents feel like they are being ignored and that I may be siding with the Council for closing the building.

Well, I do side with the idea of closing the building. I would not want anyone I care for to be inside the Haas Park building.

HOWEVER, I do not side with the city officials - because it should have never gotten to that point. City owned property should not look like that.

Last week, I went back for some video. A resident across the street yelled, "Hey look, that News-Herald (insert inappropriate word beginning with a B) is over here again."

I had a voice mail at work telling me I'm "as snobby as the council" and another that I don't "understand or care about North Trenton." (North Trenton is the area the park is at).

I worked for the parks and recreation department of a city for many years before working at The News-Herald. Whether or not I'm from Downriver, Trenton (or the north part of the city for that matter) or from another country, I don't want to see a nice building close. It would devastate me if the community building I grew up with closed.

But under these conditions, it's just not safe. And it's no longer a nice building.  So yes, today I'm the evil reporter. It's a common thing to hear. People don't like us; we get it. In all honesty though, I do care. I would rather do a story about the building closing than a story about children becoming ill because of the unsafe conditions of their preschool.

(On a side note, last week when I went to take these photos I was standing on a jungle-gym in my high heels to get a good angle for the picture and some people walking by looked at me like I'm a psycho. I think one of them may have taken a picture of me so if you see a photo floating around of a blond girl in high heels standing on a  playscape with a camera - let me know!)

Catch ya later, Internet world! :)

"Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha." - Robert Brault