WESTCOTT RESERVOIR, SYRACUSE -- A few times a week, Jim Dagostino takes his dog to the Westcott Reservoir. On Sunday, he noticed something that surprised him. There were children sledding on the hill and there was a large gap in the protective fencing.
There are signs that very clearly state: NO Sledding!
The City made changes here earlier this year after a 12 year old girl died following a sledding accident. Part of the changes included a fence, meant to remind people of the potential dangers.
A spokesperson for the Mayor says, as in past years, sledding is prohibited here. "The City does not condone sledding and has taken steps this year by creating barriers that protect sledding violators from crossing into adjacent roads. Each year, the City has appealed to the general public that this is a dangerous hill and assumes no liability for any injury."
And what about the gap in the fence? The spokesperson says when the fence was here, people were going over it anyway. She says the fence is still up on the sides which are more dangerous because of the roads at the bottom of the hill..
Jim Sciara, a nearby resident said, "I think what happened here last year is definitely a deterrent. People remember that accident."
There are no plans to put up more fencing here. The City's position is, they've put out the warning and tried to protect people from danger. Ultimately if sledders are going to use this hill, it's their risk to take.
