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It's no secret Dunkirk's veterans have spoken out against building the proposed amphitheater in Memorial Park. Many think it will hinder the purpose of Memorial Park taking away from those who have fought and died for our country.
It is hard for some to understand how the city can take away from the honor of our veterans when Point Gratiot is readily available. Ample parking, access to city utilities, public bathrooms, and an unobstructed view of Lake Erie seem to be underutilized. "The Point" is that building the amphitheater at The Point Gratiot is an opportunity for the City of Dunkirk to come together with the people to build a space for the people.
Let's start with the obvious. Parking at The Point is a much safer option compared to Memorial Park. Rather than parking on a side street waiting to cross Route 5, The Point has multiple large parking lots for families to easily load and unload. Families do not have to worry about a truck zooming past them as they are getting their children out of the car or wrangling their toddler in when they’re waiting to cross a major highway. In addition to increased safety, The Point offers a more tranquil location compared to Memorial Park. At The Point, you will not hear tracking trailers or construction as you are enjoying the summer evening.
When it comes to drawing in large crowds, The Point has multiple public bathrooms in different locations with additional porta-potties scattered in between to accommodate more people faster. If it rains? The Point has you covered! Literally, there are multiple pavilions providing shade when it's the peak of summer heat and cover when it rains. Not to mention the city can rent pavilions and lawn space to vendors providing goods to the community while supporting local businesses. The Point has city water, sewer and electricity already established that the city can utilize to expand the attractions or even build the proposed amphitheater! Events of all kinds can be held at The Point with profit to the city and community, but for some reason they are not.
We are not saying all events at Memorial Park should be hindered. That is not "The Point" at all. Fourth or July, Memorial Day and Juneteenth are a few of the events held at Memorial Park with a mission to remember the people that developed our city. They are events that honor and uphold the people that fought and died for our country. They are events that should be held at Memorial Park. The splash pad, skate park and music venues around the city are necessary to improve the livelihood of the residents of Dunkirk, but when put in Memorial Park, it drowns out the purpose of the monuments that serve a dire purpose.
We understand these events at Memorial Park, in addition to the Pier, drive business for the City of Dunkirk. We do not wish to take away from the businesses that profit from the events held at the Pier and Memorial Park either. Rather, we wish to honor the memory of those who have served our country while considering alternative solutions.
We the people of Dunkirk are proud to be people of Dunkirk and will not settle for less than what we deserve. The people of Dunkirk want to uphold the memory of our veterans while creating a space for our people to thrive, create memories and celebrate the livelihoods created here in our community. The people of Dunkirk want to see the proposed amphitheater built at The Point for families to enjoy in safety without disturbing the memory of Dunkirk's veterans. Plus, The Pointe has the perk of an unobstructed view of Lake Erie.
To the Dunkirk City Department of Planning and Development, this is a reasonable and more importantly possible request. The people of Dunkirk strongly request you create a space for the people if you get "The Point."
David Van Wey is a city of Dunkirk resident who says he has "seen it all."