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'Keep Gateway open'
There are figure skaters, hockey players, the Fresno Falcons, Fresno Jr. Falcons, Ice Skating Club of Fresno, Fresno State hockey team, the general public (young and old) who love to ice skate, as well as other groups and organizations from around this Valley. This wonderful facility of ours is full of skaters and hockey players seven days a week. Weekends are jam-packed.
What are they to do if the Gateway Ice Center closes its doors? Some people have said they will move to Bakersfield of Stockton if it does close. If these cities can manage to keep their ice rinks operating, then why can't our growing city of Fresno do the same? Many skaters and hockey players have invested much time, effort and money into their hobby, but most of all they love the sport. For some kids and adults it is the only form of recreation for them.
Those who are skeptical of the idea of keeping the rink open should visit the rink during one of the public sessions or go check out one of the hockey games. They can see for themselves
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Taxpayer shopping
The Fresno City Council had no problems in seeing the difference between a private-sector business and a public-sector endeavor when they turned down the prospect of taking over the ice skating rink.
There is a place for government; and there is a place for business. It is too bad that our California State University, Fresno, President John Welty, cannot. Usually, it is comical to watch our (usually) liberal academics make their forays into the private sector by starting their own businesses, but Campus Pointe is being paid for with our tax dollars.
When it fails, Dr. Welty will just move up the ladder to his new promotion, collect his liberal bonus and we (the taxpayers) get left holding the bag.
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JOHN OSTLUND: Candidates: Respect downtown
"Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."
-- Mark Twain
For decades, I've argued against the sentiment, "downtown is dead," but never has this tired refrain been more befuddling than now.
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Fresno bails out stadium tenants
On a dreary December morning, Fresno Grizzlies partner Chris Cummings stands in center field at Chukchansi Park and looks toward home plate.
"I love the view," Cummings says. "It's a lot nicer when full of people."
There's the problem. Fresno's $46 million downtown stadium hasn't been full of people nearly often enough since it opened on May 1, 2002. The Fresno Baseball Club, which owns the minor-league team and is the city-owned stadium's only tenant, is losing close to a million dollars a year, city officials say.
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We are losing too many of our young people
I’m concerned about our youth of today. It seems with every news broadcast and in every issue of our daily Bee, one or more of our youth is involved in some type of criminal activity. Why? Because mom and/or dad is either locked up or deceased, or too involved in drugs and/or prostitution.
Our churches don’t seem to be in contact with our youth anymore. We don’t see our youth walking to church on Sundays anymore, but we do see them walking the malls and walking their pit bulls.
I’m a 76-year-old male, and I’m sick of seeing car washes being held to bury another youth. I’d like to see some soul washing in order to cease this car washing insurance before another youth can be buried.
A city of Fresno spokesperson was recently quoted in The Bee: "We're not in the rink business." OK, however, our city has financed a chicken business, a tortilla factory and a baseball stadium, which sits empty most nights. What could be more beneficial to our kids than participating in youth sports, thereby gaining improved health, self-esteem and, at the very least, staying out of trouble due to dedication to their sport?
I submit either we pay for this now, or we'll pay a lot more for it later, as idle youth with time on their hands often gravitate to more risky activities. Take away the thing they love most in life and see what happens.
Boys, girls, men, women, Special Olympics, Police Activities League, churches and youth groups all use our local facility for hockey, figure skating, public skating and broomball. If this rink closes, do you really think the Falcons will stay here if they have to drive to Bakersfield or Stockton to practice?
City leaders want to tell all of the above "Find another sport," yet they pay a consultant $200,000 to improve our image. Just a suggestion: Start here. Not in the rink business? We should be.
Bill Ferguson
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