24 JAN 07: ICE WITHOUT WATER
Columbus Council made some big decisions on priorities Tuesday. A new ice rink is in. A new indoor swimming pool is on hold. And if there's any way to slow down the buildup at the city landfill to make extra money, so much the better....
Columbus Council voted unanimously to commit money to a new ice rink. It will be attached to the Civic Center, either on the east or west side. Some of us wouldn't mind if it was on the south side -- to put it above the Riverwalk, so melting ice can cool joggers like me during summer.
The extra ice rink in South Commons has been discussed for years. It will give the Cottonmouths a place to practice, when the Civic Center is booked for other events - although you'd think roller skates in the parking lot at 10:00 a.m. would work about as well.
Columbus Civic Center manager Dale Hester sees a pot of gold in the new ice rink. He believes money can be made from rentals for parties and other events. It might even work as an "overflow room" for Civic Center events with big crowds - so maybe the Jehovah's Witnesses can get their convention finished in one weekend.
Dale Hester says the Civic Center lost thousands of dollars in youth hockey rentals over the last couple of weeks, because the floor was covered with dirt for other events. Excuse me, but I don't buy this logic. In bigger cities, the arena crew could dig up the dirt on Sunday and replace it on Friday morning - and I don't think Columbus is that low on prison inmates.
(And besides, why wouldn't groups be interested in renting the Civic Center with dirt on the main floor? An off-season bicycle motocross festival might be a lot of fun.)
Along with the ice rink, Columbus Council committed to a "skate park" in South Commons. No one answered the important question on my mind about this. Will the Christopher Columbus statue be moved off the Riverwalk, so skateboarders can keep jumping off it?
Space for the skate park actually was cleared and graded a couple of years ago. It's along Fourth Street next to Golden Park - on land WRBL showed as the former home of the "navel museum." If more people had known belly buttons were displayed there, the crowds might have been bigger.
But Columbus Council decided to delay a commitment for a new swimming pool, until more meetings are held on the idea. That's what happens when the decision comes in January, and not July....
The Columbus Council delay was a bit surprising, because there's actually been an online campaign promoting a new indoor swimming pool. It's called "Columbus Citizens for a Natatorium." Please don't confuse this with one of those Sunday nature programs at Oxbow Meadows - when it becomes a GNAT-atorium.
The "cc4natatorium" web site posted an alert urging supporters to contact Councilors and the Mayor's offices before Tuesday's meeting. Columbus Council decided to get more public input first -- which seems to mean they don't consider the swimming pool idea all wet completely.
The pro-natatorium group is using a moneymaking argument as well. It says an indoor "aquatic center" could be rented by private swim clubs, rehabilitation centers and Special Olympics. And if it's put in the right place, Talbot County residents could drive in and fill buckets with water the next time their service breaks down.
The pro-natatorium web site notes the Columbus Hurricanes swim team has to use the downtown YMCA for practice in the winter, whenever it can be scheduled. It's the only large-sized indoor swimming pool in town. They simply don't make the baptismal pools at Baptist churches big enough.
The pro-natatorium web site takes the Muscogee County School Board to task, for ruling out an aquatic center next to the Columbus Public Library. It argues the district has gym and fields for other school sports. Well, not quite. The swimmers should try playing football at Carver High - and figure out where ten yards of the field disappeared.
The group in favor of the aquatic center plans to advance its cause with "I.O.U." bracelets, similar to the yellow ones for fighting cancer. But you wonder why the supporters don't go after private donations and gifts for a natatorium, instead of relying on the city. Wouldn't it only make sense for backers to "pool" their resources?
BLOG UPDATE: Speaking of South Commons, we walked around Golden Park the other day. The section of the outfield wall which collapsed from a storm last August has been rebuilt [26 Oct 06]. Where there once was a hole, there's now solid brick - but we admittedly did NOT try any kick-boxing techniques to test it.
It appears the grass and warning track inside the outfield wall at Golden Park has been restored as well. The field seems all set for another of those parties celebrating the Northern All-Stars Little League team.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Two Tuesday tidbits brought comments from readers. We start in East Alabama:
Richard,
Funny you should mention the Lee County Detention Center being named the "Jay Jones Jail." The administration section of the new jail will be named the "Sheriff William S. Jones Center."
The center is named for Sheriff William "Buck" Jones. He was shot and killed in the line of duty June 29, 1932, while checking on a reported homicide in Opelika. As far as Jay knows, he is not related to the former sheriff.
Just thought I'd pass that tidbit along!
--Brock
Do you mean to tell me - no, I really shouldn't write this - that 2007 marks the 75th anniversary of Buck shot?
Now for a reader who seems addicted to oil:
I have seen gas at a few places in alabama (Opelika and Smiths Sation) below the $2 mark this week and Georgia is above the $2 mark.
check this link on CNN - it is updated several times a day during the Stock market hours.
On that page look just below the Blue bar and click on OIL - this will take you to commodites.
Look what Unleaded gas is selling for Februray deliveries - gas prices are usually changed about 5 to 6 days after a change is noted on OIL Deliveries. Yeah I know, slow to change when it goes down and very fast when it goes up.
Now look at these places for Gas Prices in the Southeast.... it could be worse - look
The e-mail included links to lists of the lowest gas prices in several states - then to lists in California, New York and Hawaii, where prices are much higher than in Columbus. You almost wonder why those states aren't asking for help from the President of Venezuela.
The CNN link shows oil futures prices jumped Tuesday, to more than 55 dollars a barrel. The increase was blamed in part on the federal government deciding to expand its "Strategic Petroleum Reserve." You know where this fuel is going, of course -- to fuel rumors about an attack on Iran.
Sorry, Hurtsboro - we meant what we said about "Mondays only." Your e-mails will have to wait, while we check other news from a chilly Tuesday:
+ St. Luke School held a special evening called "Parent University." It seemed to attract a big crowd - so few moms and dads said "P-U" to this idea.
(Based on the school's web site, Parent University had seminars on a wide range of education-related topics. I guessed mothers and fathers might have to write an essay, to post in the classrooms.)
+ WRBL showed a groundbreaking ceremony in Valley, for the new "Fob James Drive Lifestyle Center." Some of us can remember when these things were called subdivisions....
+ Instant Message to President Bush: I confess -- I wasn't planning to watch your State of the Union speech Tuesday night. I had something much more important on the schedule. But for some reason, WSHE-AM didn't broadcast the first part of the Alabama-Auburn basketball game.
(WSHE joined the game in progress, about 30 minutes after it started. I wondered if Auburn Network President Mike Hubbard had arranged a delay in the tipoff, as a favor to his fellow Republican.)
+ As for the game: Auburn assaulted Alabama 81-57. Somebody's gotta ask it - why is a ranked team like the Crimson Tide playing so badly on the road? This makes three huge conference losses in a row, away from Tuscaloosa. If I didn't know better, I'd think Mike Shula drives the basketball team bus.
SCHEDULED THURSDAY: A letter from the Governor.... directly to me!....
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