On May 5, voters in the City of Novi can choose to make their city a lovely place by making a modest investment in a Signature Park – a park that reflects the unique character and identity of the community and an investment that will pay dividends to present and future generations.

Parks and recreation services are essential to the local economy. High quality local parks and diverse recreation opportunities rank at the top of the list of community attributes sought by business because they meet worker needs for respite and relief. Especially in this time of economic stress, families in Novi and across Michigan who can’t afford to travel to Disneyland or other vacation spots need local recreation options.

Parks and recreation services are essential to the creation of community. Parks are the public places where families connect and the very fabric of community is woven. They are the green spaces and open places that are the focal point of community pride. They are the essential glue that holds communities together even as unemployment, foreclosures, and business failures threaten to tear them apart.

Recreation programs are essential to our families. They provide the safe and supervised environment for our children to build character, leadership, and self-confidence. They provide opportunities for seniors to remain active and build networks of mutual support and sustenance.

Vibrant parks and accessible recreation are key components for keeping communities safe and strong. Active, involved, and interacting citizens create caring communities that keep criminal elements at bay. And numerous studies show that properties located near community parks keep their value and continue to contribute to local revenues even in the hardest of times.

If hope and fear are the two most powerful motivators of human behavior, then let hope guide the decision of Novi voters on May 5. Because hope is like a road in the country; there never was a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. Voting for the Signature Park is an expression of hope for the City of Novi.