Thelma G. Spencer Park

Thelma G. Spencer Park is a city park owned and operated by the city of Rochester Hills, Michigan - a northern suburb of Detroit. Its main attraction is a 38-acre man-made lake with a lifeguarded beach, which complements an array of picknicking facilities, full service concession stand, boat rental, volleyball courts, tennis courts, playground, horseshoe pits, soccer fields and walking/biking paths.

The Waterfront

The lake features an old fashioned lifeguarded swimming area, which is contained within roped boundaries. Like most old quarries, the lake depth drops off significantly a few yards from shore around the circumference of the lake to a pretty constant 20-23 foot depth throughout. The exception is of course the roped swim area which gradually slopes from the shore line to 11-14 feet deep approximately 25 yards from shore. In addition and adjacent to the roped swim area, there is a fenced in wading area, a favorite of mothers with young children. The water is monitored and tested twice a week for E. Coli bacteria. Spencer Park's lake water is filtered via a spring system that has allowed the park to hold one of the best Oakland County Health Department closure records for the area's public beaches.

The park also rents boats to patrons at a rate of four dollars per hour. Both rowboats and paddleboats are rented. One can rent a boat as long as one has a valid driver's license that must be held in the office as a deposit. Boaters under the age of sixteen must wear life jackets in rowboats and all boaters must wear life jackets in the paddleboats, per park policy. State law mandates a maximum of 4 persons per rowboat and 3 persons per paddleboat, weight restrictions also apply.

After a tragic drowning incident in 1983, the City of Rochester Hills redesigned the park's lifeguard program. The city hired Fredrick S. Carter as the beachfront coordinator. Carter made significant changes to the Spencer Park Lifeguard program that continue to this day.

The Playground

The park features an exciting play structure (new in 2005) that sports modern play equipment including multiple slides, climbing wall, several interactive play elements, a swing set, a woopy whirl that teaches children about their moments of inertia and the conservation of angular momentum, a donut swing that can hold many children and many other amenities.

The Staff

The staff primarily consists of two specialized groups: the Spencer Park Attendants and the Spencer Park Lifeguards. Due to the difference in their jobs, the park attendants and lifeguards hardly interact during busy days, though they both play a vital role in the smooth operation of the park.

The park is run by two full time park rangers, a summer assistant, and the beachfront coordinator. Though the park rangers have ultimate say in park operations (under the discretion of their supervisors), the beachfront coordinator is given considerable leeway to manage the waterfront operations.

History

Prior to becoming a park, the property was originally used as a quarry for the construction of a nearby freeway, M-59. Contrary to popular belief, the quarry was not used for gravel, but for sand. During the use of the quarry, it was discovered that the area was over a natural spring system and a lake would eventually form. The quarry was abandoned and the land was purchased by a developer who had the land plotted out, ready to be developed as a subdivision. As it turns out, the developer ended up in some "trouble" and needed money for legal fees. He ended up selling the property at a significant loss to the City of Rochester Hills (then Avon Township). Oddly, the property is still plotted into individual sites and this causes problems on occasion, when the park undergoes widespread development. Thelma G. Spencer Park gets its name from a former Avon Township Clerk. Thelma Spencer was a very active proponent of the park system and was present at the dedication and grand opening in 1981. At the time of the dedication, a pine tree was also planted on the west side of the Beach House, aptly nicknamed the "Thelma Pine". In 1984, Thelma G. Spencer Park became a Rochester Hills City Park as the Avon Township area continued to grow and became a city. Spencer Park is one of Oakland County Michigan's best kept secrets and is often responsible for comments like "I never would have guessed this was back here". Those who do know of Spencer Park's existence love it for its clean water and well upkept service areas, for its continued improvements and upgrades and for its exemplary water safety track record.

The park was the site of several malicious arson incidents in 1999 and 2000.

External links

* [http://www.rochesterhills.org/ City of Rochester Hills]
* [http://www.rochesterhills.org/city_services/parks/parks/spencer_park.asp Thelma G. Spencer Park]

See also

* List of Rochester Hills Parks