Juggbutt's

05/30/2026

Why do separate Park Boards exist at all?

Because parks were never meant to be viewed as ordinary government property.

In Alton, public parks were created through donated land, volunteer labor, private fundraising, taxpayer support, and state or federal grants. They were built because the public believed our community deserved shared public spaces that would outlast any single administration or political moment.

That history matters.

When people donate land for parks, contribute money toward their development, approve park taxes, or invest years of volunteer effort into maintaining them, those parks become something more than simply another department within city government.

They become part of a public trust.

That is one reason Missouri law recognizes separate park governance.

A Park Board is not about taking power away from elected officials. It is about helping ensure that parks remain focused on long-term stewardship, public participation, transparency, and the public benefit they were created to serve.

Strong parks require more than maintenance budgets.

They require community involvement, long-term vision, and a recognition that these spaces are meant to belong to future generations as much as the present one.

Parks are not simply assets to manage.

They are places communities inherit, protect, and pass forward.

05/27/2026

From the Juggbutt's Stage:

15 years ago, a couple of Alton boys trying out a great old bluegrass tune, "Four Walls Around Me" by Bill Monroe.

Zach & Seth playing one of my favorite old bluegrass tunes "Punk-st...

05/27/2026

What exactly is a Park Board?

Under Missouri law, park boards exist separately from city councils or boards of aldermen because parks serve a unique public purpose.

Parks are not simply ordinary government property.

Historically, many public parks were created and expanded through donated land, private fundraising, volunteer labor, taxpayer support, and state or federal grants. Because of that, communities often recognized that parks should be managed with ongoing public participation and long-term stewardship in mind.

That is why dedicated park governance exists.

A Park Board is meant to provide focused oversight of parks and public recreational spaces — including planning, maintenance, budgeting, programming, and public input.

Just as importantly, it creates a place where citizens can remain directly involved in the future of community spaces that were built, supported, and entrusted to the public over generations.

This should not be viewed as an attack on city government.

Strong parks work best when local government and the public work together in a spirit of transparency, stewardship, and shared responsibility.

Parks are more than pieces of land.

They are part of a community’s inheritance.

05/24/2026

It was our Creator who endowed us with these natural rights. Today, we honor those who have fought to defend them.

"It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

Charles M Province

05/19/2026

Last night, I appeared before the Alton Board of Aldermen to speak about our city parks, public participation, transparency, and constitutional freedoms in public spaces.

I want to sincerely thank the mayor, aldermen, and city staff for treating me respectfully and allowing me the opportunity to speak openly.

For the first time in a long time, I left feeling cautiously hopeful that meaningful dialogue may still be possible.

Our parks were not created by government alone. They were built through community effort, volunteer work, private donations, taxpayer support, and state and federal assistance. They belong to the people of Alton and should be stewarded with transparency and public involvement.

I was encouraged to hear openness toward greater transparency regarding park finances and park-related information. That would be a positive step forward.

I still believe Alton should seriously consider restoring a properly functioning Park Board with real citizen participation and long-term focus on our parks and public spaces.

This has never been about attacking people or creating division.

It has always been about protecting, improving, and preserving public spaces that were entrusted to our community for future generations.

Parks are not just pieces of land.

They are places where community itself is built.

05/16/2026

Parks Work Best When the Public Is Part of the Conversation

Over the past several weeks, I’ve raised difficult questions about our parks, public access, ordinances, and First Amendment concerns.

Some people may wonder why.

The answer is simple:

Because public parks only succeed when the public is involved.

Not just financially.
Not just during elections.
But in the actual conversation about how these spaces are managed, used, and improved.

A park is not just grass, sidewalks, or playground equipment.

A park is a public gathering place.
A place where families spend time together.
Where children play.
Where neighbors meet.
Where community events happen.
Where people build pride in their town.

Healthy parks strengthen communities.

But that only happens when citizens feel comfortable speaking honestly, sharing ideas, asking questions, and being included in the process.

That is what I have been trying to encourage.

Not conflict for the sake of conflict.
Not division.
A conversation.

Because when people feel heard, they become invested.

And invested communities create parks people actually use.

05/11/2026

The Problem Isn’t Just the Rules. It’s Who Gets Exempted.

Bad laws are dangerous.

But laws that are enforced unevenly are even worse.

Here’s why:

If government officials can decide when rules apply, who must comply, and who gets a pass, then citizens are no longer being treated equally.

That becomes especially serious when public speech and gatherings are involved.

Attorneys with the First Amendment Clinic at Washington University reviewed Alton’s park and special event ordinances earlier this year.

In a formal legal notice sent to the city, they identified serious constitutional concerns with how these rules are written and enforced.

One of those concerns was unequal enforcement.

Alton’s ordinances require permits, insurance, and city approval for “special events” held in public spaces.

Recently, several events and gatherings have taken place in Alton's parks and other public-use properties.

According to the attorneys’ findings, the city produced very few records showing permits, approvals, denials, or waivers related to those events.

That raises obvious questions:

If permits are required, why do records appear to be missing?

Are the rules applied equally to everyone?

What standards determine when the rules are enforced—and when they are ignored?

The First Amendment does not allow government officials to have unchecked power over who may gather and speak in public spaces.

Because once officials can selectively enforce the rules, citizens are no longer operating under equal law.

They are operating under permission.

And people quickly learn what that means:

Some groups feel welcome.

Others stay quiet.

Should city officials pick and choose who gets to use our parks for free and who has to pay?

05/07/2026

You Don’t Need Permission to Use a Public Park

Let’s get very clear about something:

A public park is not private property.
It doesn’t belong to the city government.
It belongs to the public.

Under the First Amendment, parks are one of the main places where people are supposed to be able to gather, speak, and share ideas freely.

That includes small groups.
That includes unpopular opinions.
That includes ordinary citizens who just want to talk about what’s happening in their town.

Now here’s where the problem starts.

Alton’s ordinances say that if your activity is considered a “special event,” you have to:

• Apply for a permit
• Get approval from the city
• Carry liability insurance
• Take responsibility for anything that happens

Before you can proceed.

Think about what that means in practice.

If a group of residents wants to meet in a park to talk about local issues…
They may need government permission first.

If they can’t afford insurance…
They may not be allowed at all.

That’s not just a rule.
That’s a barrier to speech.

The First Amendment doesn’t allow the government to put up unnecessary barriers like that in public spaces.

Especially not broad ones that apply to almost any gathering.

Especially not ones that price ordinary people out.

Public parks are supposed to be open to the people—not controlled in a way that discourages them from showing up.

Next, we’ll look at another issue:

What happens when these rules aren’t applied equally—or aren’t applied at all.

05/05/2026

Does the City of Alton understand it's responsibility to provide for public safety/health?

Who determines what is an appropriate use of public park properties?

05/04/2026

A Line Was Drawn around Alton Parks

Up to this point, we’ve talked about what people see:

Empty parks.
Canceled events.
Rules that make it harder to gather than it should be.

But there’s another part of this story most people haven’t heard.

An attorney sent a formal demand letter to the City of Alton raising serious concerns about how these park rules affect the public.

Not just as a matter of policy—

but as a matter of rights.

Because public parks aren’t just pieces of land.

They’ve long been recognized as places where people are free to gather, speak, and share ideas.

Without needing special permission.

Without unnecessary barriers.

That doesn’t mean there can’t be rules.

But it does mean those rules have limits.

And when those limits are crossed…

it’s not just inconvenient.

It becomes a constitutional issue.

In the next posts, we’re going to break that down in plain language—

what the concerns are,
what they mean,
and why they matter here in Alton.