So, with Mayor Dave Bing's announcement Friday that the city of Detroit is closing 50 parks, that brings the total to 57 that will remain open in a city that once boasted 308.

Let's make it 56. Let's take another off the city's books. But, let me digress, first.

Here was the best argument for not letting the state of Michigan take over the management of Belle Isle:

"It is a slap in the face to disassemble something that is known for Detroit."

I didn't say it was a good argument. It was just the best argument made against what really was an unassailable position. Best because it at least offered some unintentional humor.

The speaker was a Detroit woman who appeared before a Detroit City Council panel last week to protest what some were calling a state takeover. Apparently this woman heard "take over," focused on the first word in the phrase and figured that if anyone was going to take something that big, they'd have to disassemble it.