The Weezer wrote:

Dan , where are the new stop signs???

The Weezer wrote:

Well where are they????

Church and Walnut.

o.k. Thank you Ken...will look out for them...

Dan , where are the new stop signs???

Church and Walnut.

DanMnz wrote:

Well the amount of cars I see running those new stop signs will only add to the issue with the kids in the street who assume cars need to stop.

Guilty as charged!   I went right through it yesterday, and then noticed it.  It must happen a lot after decades of driving a street and then a new stop sign appears.

Well where are they????

Jesus, I sound like an old man -- the kids who wanted to skate got together, cleaned up Vale Street and built a ramp.

The ramp that group of kids built was one of the best built ramps I had ever seen.  What did the town do about it?  Ripped it down.  That raises another point.  Anything that is done for kids in this town requires volunteering, donations, etc... and seems to lack any help from the town.  How long was the broke pole going to hang down at Fuller Field?  It had been there since October, and a group of citizens had to use their own time, money and resources to fix it.  It's great that someone was willing to step up, but shouldn't this be the town's responsibility? 

The underlying issue I see in this town is aside from a few gatherings (Olde Home Day, Leprehaun Day, etc...) the town fails to connect with the community in a manner which is non-confrontational.  Everything seems to be a fight, and in doing so, the sense of community is lost.  Going back generations, there has always been the same reoccuring problem:  get out of Central Park and get off High Street. 

FredJ makes a great point, involve the youth in some sort of think tank to see what they want.  I have spoke to many kids about the Vale Street "skate park", and the all have the same comment: boring.  Did anyone take a moment to ask the kids what they would like to see down there?  Did anyone take the time to go to research skate parks, and maybe see what surrounding communities did?  They throw it on an old tennis court, that doesn't have lights.  The BOS and P&R seem to lack the ability to think outside of the box...just take a look at the Selectmen's meeting when someone from the P&R had the brilliant idea to remove the benches from the park in order to discourage the kids. 

It would be nice if the P&R was thinking about ideas on how to get more kids to go to the skate park, use the basketball courts, use the ball fields, or maybe even a dog park!  In the meantime, the townspeople should stop voting based on who their cousin/friend is, and vote on who is going to get the job done.

Well the amount of cars I see running those new stop signs will only add to the issue with the kids in the street who assume cars need to stop.

Guilty as charged!   I went right through it yesterday, and then noticed it.  It must happen a lot after decades of driving a street and then a new stop sign appears.

Well the amount of cars I see running those new stop signs will only add to the issue with the kids in the street who assume cars need to stop.

Dan , where are the new stop signs???

Welcome back summer and welcome back the dirt bag kids at the park!!

I don't think they ever left....

http://www.telegram.com/article/2011100 … /coulter06

I Think, this is an indication to why we have these teens hanging around the park doing nothing... they don't have the money for these trips, or even if they had... they don't have any adults to go with. The P&R need to do something, geared towards teens be it a dance, games (of whatever the teens like)...Have some type of sign up with volunteers to work with them (Teens) to head up something.. the CPD does the block dances, but the dances seem more for the Lil' kids and parents. When you give them something to do, they will do it. I don't want hear... but they have a skate park on vale st., because from what I've heard and read it seems like John Q. has taking over it from the P&R, Cuz it didn't take care of it themselves.
I'm sorry, if this seems like I'm downing the P&R...I think DAN does a great job as a park manager, with what he got. But, if I didn't change my way of thinking in life, I would be in the same place I was before... nowhere. I think they are stuck in their ways as a committee, and don't want to change anything.
I'm not talking about the new member, either. Maybe, he will be the breath of fresh air they need. If they listen to him, he is much younger then they are. I know he may have some great Ideas for them to work with.

OK, here is another idea... towards the end of the school year. We get a "teen forum" at the school, all of them in the auditorium... make it a civics class type of learning and have the kids talk about what they want from the town and work with those ideas. We have to really listen to them, not just say "OK" I like that  and not follow through with it. But we have to get on their level, and listen to the needs of the teens. When they have adults telling them, that they are the problem...then they will become the problem. Let them be part the solution. OK, I'm done!!! For now!!!

...maybe someone has already thought of it. But, if they do move the benches... why not move them to the middle of the park, to free up the outside of the park.

This was suggested at our Selectmen's meeting.  In response, the Parks and Rec representatives opined that the configuration of the park should not be changed.