Defending
Michael Harrison

Councilman Michael Harrison has been doing the job he was elected to do.

However, some members of our community are so angry he’s doing so that they’ve created false rumors about him.

For example he, the father of two, "hates children because he doesn’t have any." Another is that he’s "going to close the Creekside Park Preschool."

Those are the nicest false rumors circulating—all because he sought the truth about the state’s regulations regarding the Creekside Park Preschool.

Many in the Mulwood area have long questioned the need for the preschool to occupy the entire 11.5 acre park since the east side of town has had only one vest-pocket park.

The over $2 million Creekside Park, purchased and improved with taxpayer dollars, has been used only for the preschool since its purchase. The preschool runs a deficit of about $100,000 per year that is paid for by the city’s general fund. At least 30 percent of the students are not residents of Calabasas.

Taxpayers have been told the state licensing requirements made it impossible to use the park except when the preschool was not in session. The meeting rooms are rarely available to the community because the preschool staff doesn’t want its rooms disturbed, even on weekends.

Harrison’s investigation revealed that the state requires 35 square feet of interior space and 75 square feet of exterior play space per child. That only adds up to a generous 20,000 square feet (about one-half acre) when parking is included, even with the current enrollment of 120 students.

Reportedly, the state inspector agreed the preschool doesn’t need the entire park. Appropriate fencing can be designed so others in the community, especially children, can enjoy the baseball field and basketball courts at the same time.

Those politically motivated individuals spreading false rumors in order to vilify Mr. Harrison, whose only sin is being attentive to the needs of all the community, should be ashamed, not just for unsuccessfully trying to damage Harrison’s reputation, but also for cynically and crudely using the legitimate concerns of the preschool’s parents to aid them in their crass political machinations.

Councilman Harrison is to be commended for doing his job by paying attention to Mulwood’s concerns about Creekside, finding out the real facts, and attempting to fashion a solution that will meet the needs of everyone concerned.

He’s the only Calabasas coun-cilperson to have ever done so.

Karmen Brower

Calabasas