East Lansing set to reopen playgrounds and dog park ahead of schedule

THE NEXT STEP IN THE GRADUALRE-OPENING OF MICHIGAN... IS TOLIFT RESTRICTIONS ONPARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS.FOX 47'S MAUREEN HALLIDAY HASTHOSE DETAILS.STARTING JUNE 22ND-- PLAYGROUNDSWILL FINALLY REOPEN IN EASTLANSING.

THEY'VE BEEN CLOSED FORMONTHS BECAUSE OF COVID-19.

THECITY IS ASKING PEOPLE TO SOCIALDISTANCE AND PROTECTTHEMSELVES WHILE THEY'RE AT THEPLAYGROUND."IF I WAS GOING TO TAKE MY CHILDOR MY GRANDCHILD OUT TO THEPLAYGROUND I WOULD CERTAINLY USETHEMASK, WEAR THE MASK, AND I WOULDHAVE THE CHILD WEARING THE MASKALSO."EAST LANSING PARKS ANDRECREATION DIRECTOR TIMMCCAFFREY SAYS THEY ARE VERY LOWSTAFFED SINCETHE PANDEMIC AND WON'T BE ABLETO ENFORCE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.WE'RE NOT DOING CAPACITY LIMITSAT OUR PLAYGROUNDS LARGELYBECAUSE WE DON'T HAVETHE ABILITY TO DO ANYENFORCEMENT.""WE'VE GOT 80 PERCENT OF OURFULLTIME STAFF ON 50 PERCENTUNEMPLOYMENT, 50 PERCENT WORKANDALMOST 100PERCENT OF OUR PARTIMESTAFF IS ON UNMEPLOYMENT OR INSOME CASES SOME ARE SEASONALSTAFF WE COULDN'T HIRE THISYEAR."THE CITY IS EVALUATING WHEN TOREOPEN THE OUTDOOR SPORTSCOMPLEXES.

AS OF NOW THEY WON'TBE REOPENING FOR AWHILE."IT'S STILL NOT IN THE POSITIONWHERE IF YOU'RE HAVING ACOMPETITION YOU CAN BE SAFELYAPART IN ACOMPETITIVE SITUATION, SIMILARTO ALL THE OTHER ATHLETICPROGRAMS FROM YOUTH LEVELS TOOBVIOSULY PROFESSIONAL LEVELS."REPORTING IN EAST LANSING I'M MHTHE OUTDOOR TENNIS ANDBASKETBALL COURTS ARE REOPENINGNEXT WEEK.PARK BATHROOMS WILL ALSO REOPENMO