Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Valhalla":
Yes we have all sorts kids that want to do Shakespeare or Chess or
Bridge.... Is this 1912 or 2012?
I have a child at Williams SS. Those
things exist there already, why do we need to duplicate it.
Why did The
Hotspot close? It had nothing to do with the venue (or lack of). Kids today
don't want to participate in those activities.
We need to strike a
committee that can find the true needs of the youth in Aurora. I would suggest
that those on the committee should not be over 40. We are dealing with people
that have no concept of black and white TV,no internet, no cell phones, etc.
******************
Thanks for the input. .
Likely it was students who provided the consultant with ideas for a dedicated youth facility.
I agree high schools are providing most of these programs.
And students may already have plenty to occupy them with homework, after- school curriculum and part-time jobs.
But a space for teens is only one of the uses,I'm thinking about in this building. I visualize an internet cafe.
None of that other stuff I mentioned is specifically for students.
It's intended for people making a living at mundane jobs while hiding a light under a bushel . Or retired people able for the first time in their lives to indulge in a passion heretofore denied.
Or young people with hopes of making a living in the arts.
Or for practitioners always looking for way to improve.
Or people who do it just because it's the love of their lives..
Nobody questions the need for hockey rinks,soccer fields, baseball diamonds or swimming pools. Schools have many of these facilities too. Nobody challenges the value to the community of providing these facilities.
A huge part of the municipal budget is used to provide leisure opportunities of all kinds including the arts.
It's the only department that produces revenues sufficient
to pay for the programs.
The same spending could never be justified for a dedicated facility to provide for the arts.
I would not be the one to propose taxing people to provide it. .
But we have $33 million dollars to spend for a purpose we would
not otherwise place as a burden on the taxpayers.
We have a site that we own.
We have a golden opportunity to add something to our repertoire that may prove to be an investment that pays dividends in business development.
We would be remiss if we did not avail ourselves of this delightful and productive opportunity.
The Library did a great job of showing me how to operate the computer but the classes were from 6-8 PM. People could go to the Internet Cafe all day long at hours that worked for them. Sounds great. Can you imagine having someone like Chris Watts drop in periodically to lend a hand. He scares me silly but the kids would love it.
ReplyDelete"We have a golden opportunity to add something to our repertoire that may prove to be an investment that pays dividends in business development."
ReplyDeleteThe ancillary benefits of the cultural centre to the downtown core are dismissed by some, yet you cite them in support of your proposal.
I think someone is tinkering with history. Correct me but I think the Hot Spot died when the funding from Bingo ceased and Wendy was unable to find any sponsors to replace them There was also an election coming up and she wanted to shed the thing. Much as Granger had a hissy fit and quit badgering the Farmers' Market. The Market did just fine without him and a replacement for the Hot Spot could do equally well.
ReplyDeleteNothing against a Youth Centre.
ReplyDeleteBut.
Is there a need or is this just something that's on Aurora's list of "nice to have" items?
Do we have issues with the youth in Aurora that can be attributed directly to a lack of somewhere to go or something to do?
Do we need a clubhouse for modern youth that are texting and tweeting before they can walk?
If the need is identified then go ahead and propose something, heaven knows we've bent over backwards accommodating just about every other community "need" but at the very least, let's hedge our bets and make sure that whatever we build is convertible to a new use should the original intention fall by the wayside.
And please, no sweetheart contract to some yet-to-be-named not-for-profit do-gooders to "provide youth activities and services".
Built by the Town - run by the Town.
And since we have $33M burning a hole in our pocket can we not re-pave Wellington between Bathurst and Industrial?
Surely being true to the Aurora's heritage doesn't include driving on a wagon trail.
(If this is already on the to-do list I'll stand corrected)
"Can you imagine having someone like Chris Watts drop in periodically to lend a hand."
ReplyDeleteNo, I can't. He's a critic, a commenter - not a joiner or a doer.
Youth Centre aside, Al Downey is desperate for community space. Putting it where parking is already an issue just doesn't make any sense.
ReplyDelete