Put those camera phones away!

PRINCETON — The Princeton Park Board has issued a warning about the use of camera cell phones and visual recording devices within the Bureau County Metro Center and Alexander Park Swimming Pool.

At Monday’s board meeting, Elaine Russell, executive director of the park district, said she recently received a letter from a patron requesting cell phones with camera capabilities be banned in the Metro Center, specifically in places like locker rooms.

Russell said she directed administrative assistant Tammy Lange to research the policies of other park districts and similar organizations. Of the eight contacts, only one had any policy in place. However, Lange did find a sample warning statement which could be posted by the park board.

After discussion of enforcement issues, the board authorized Russell to post warning signs stating no cell phones with cameras or other video/visual recording devices would be allowed in the Metro Center or Alexander Park Swimming Pool without the consent of the executive director. The warning will also state anyone caught taking photos or videos of another person without his/her consent will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Board President Gene Englehart said he thought the warnings were a good step and needed to be put in place. Any type of inappropriate action or behavior will not be tolerated, he said.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, the park board heard from engineer Kevin Heitz on the progress of the nearly 40-acre Zearing Park expansion project, which will include eight new soccer/athletic fields, a pond, fishing dock and a new concession stand/restroom building.

Earthwork at the site is progressing at a reasonable pace considering the rainy weather this year, Heitz said. It’s not been a good year for earthwork, he said.

Construction will begin in the near future on the fishing dock as well as the access road to the concession stand/restroom building.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the park board selected natural, earth-tone colors for the new concession stand/ restroom building. The board also agreed to go out for bids for the septic system part of the expansion project.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.