Englewood Residents: Do not believe everything you hear. There is nothing in the rink, but the rink. I attended the Mayor's Town Hall Meeting last Monday and the City Council meeting the next day. There was no plan included to renovate the bathrooms inside. They are disgusting. The rink has been allowed to go into ruin. Many of the improvements and repairs needed to make this rink an indoor facility are not outlined. It will take millions to make it an indoor rink with heat for the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Know what you are signing on for. Even if the rink is closed in, it will not be a good place for your children to do anything but skate. It is just a run-down skating rink.
To make matters worse, there is no business plan that they are willing to share with us. It is our money. We are the ones who will pay for this. The facility is just being handed over to the Boy's & Girl's Club of Garfield. What is this all about? The 3rd and 4th Ward Councilmen have voted against spending more millions on this outdated facility. They say put the roof back on and skate. They are our elected officials and they have spoken. So what is this extra piece of propaganda all about? Why are the images of children being used in this way? This is not acceptable.
We deserve a real Community Center that includes Recreation Programs. There are many examples in towns around us. Right next door in Teaneck there is the Richard Rhoda Community Center. Stop by one day and pick up a brochure that lists all of the many activities offered there. These activities include many programs that are not sports oriented and programs that are offered for free. Why is it that when we ask for a Community Center they continually give us Recreation programs for a fee.
There is nothing inside the rink but a rink. Do not allow anyone to fool you in this. There is no romper room. There is no place to sit and play Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Monopoly, Upwords, Pokeno, Clue, Taboo, Backgammon, Pictionary, Othello, Connect Four or the Game of Life.
There is no place for parents to network, share or just talk and get to know one another. There is no place for children to do homework together. There is no romper room.
By all means, make a call. Ask for a tour of the John T. Wright Arena. Find out for yourself what it looks like on the inside.
The person responsible for that very expensive glossy card above should Cease and desist with this skulduggery.
The person responsible for that very expensive glossy card above should Cease and desist with this skulduggery.
