| Author | Message | ||
     PARROT HEAD Citizen Username: Island_jack Post Number: 97 Registered: 3-2004  |
Joe Citezen started this thread talking about the basketball court improvements, or lack thereof. From what it looks like the new b-ball court is going to be very nice (or aestetically pleasing-if you perfer that term) The problem is that some idiot accepted funds from Green Acres many years ago allowing anyone, ANYONE! to come to South Orange and take full advantage of our facilities. In most cases, abuse our facilities. Was this a good idea? NO! It was an admission of incompetance on the part of our Village "leaders". It was like saying "The people who maintain this town can't handle the responsibility, so let's take the quick-fix, lazy, Green Acres money." It was a federal bandaid on a municipal broken leg. In short, it was a slap in the face of the people that live and work in this town. I don't think that people who don't live in our Village should be allowed to play Basketball, or play tennis, or go swimming in our community unless they are recognized guests. I too, remember a time when you needed a pool badge or a guest pass to use any recreational facilities. That was a good idea. (unfortunately an outdated concept) I also don't agree with the construction of an Arts Center in town when the one in Newark is on the verge of failure. This town should stop trying to make Suoth Orange a nice place to visit and start concentrating on making it a nice place to live. Think of the residents first. -s. BTW Soda, you're a moron. | ||
| PARROT HEAD Citizen Username: Island_jack Post Number: 98 Registered: 3-2004 |
FYI, the word community means whoever lives in town. Thanks to our out-of-town "guests" South Orange residents were being scared off the basketball courts. Just like they're being scared off of floods hill on the 4th of July. And just like they're afraid to visit some of our playgrounds where gang-inspired graffiti has to be wiped off on a daily basis. All hail Green Acres. | ||
| bets Supporter Username: Bets Post Number: 1709 Registered: 6-2001  |
I haven't even read past Mark's post of Tuesday, June 7, 2005 - 10:47 am: Mark, the tennis courts next to the pool are not within 100-200 ft. of any residential complex, save for the apartments above the reservoir and along SO Ave and possibly the apartments at Ridgewood/SO Ave. Those have clearly delienated buffers (parking lots, major road) that would minimize impact. Why is the village forcing through sweetheart deals to select developers while moving at a snail's pace to address the actual wants and needs of the residents? Put some b-ball courts next to the pool! It's a perfect location. Residents will be able to bring their badges and visit the pool after a good game (showering first hopefully). Is this location still under consideration? 'Cause if it isn't, it should be (imo). <----Now continuing to read the rest of the thread | ||
| bets Supporter Username: Bets Post Number: 1710 Registered: 6-2001 |
Parrot, You should only refer to Soda as a hysterical, myopic nutjob when making a personal attack. That is not considered a suspend-worthy offense. No offense, Dave! | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1325 Registered: 1-2004  |
U- If you read my post I said the Seton Hall PREP students. The Prep is in West Orange. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1326 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hoops- For some reason I thought you lived in Maplewood. Am I right? | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1327 Registered: 1-2004 |
Sheean- I mentioned maybe playing a little with some of the SHU players (Unv, right) to my nephews and they were all for it. They aske if their 13 year old cousin cold also come, as he's a big basektball player too. I'll ask my siser for a few dates they don't have plans and PL you. BTW Their team is playing in the baseball playoffs Saturday at Noon if you want to come meet them! And my mom says she thinks she knows who you are. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1328 Registered: 1-2004 |
mjc- Well if you don't want to add more time to a commute to shop you could always go to Kings. I only go to the Pathmark when I am desperate. I get yelled at all the time for going to Kings for cukes, celery, tomatoes. Otherwise I'll go to the West Orange or Livingston Shop-Rite. I like Blackbear coldcuts, so it's worth it to me... Or even the Pathmark in Livingston. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1329 Registered: 1-2004 |
Mark- Not to be obnoxious, but who cares what the residents, who are renters btw, of the Gaslight Commons wanted when it came to a basketball court. The Waterlands Park was there long before the over priced apartments were. The Waterlands Park would be a great place for a basketball court. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1330 Registered: 1-2004 |
U- The A and P is a half block from the Pathmark? I always thought it was a few stores over, in the next parking lot? And the A and P is just as gross as the Pathmark. (even though the Parthmark has my cheese curls and I like their fried chicken). | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1331 Registered: 1-2004 |
Peter- I agree with your assessment of South Orange Village and how the new bank is a good example of a standard other businesses might want to follow. PS Maybe we'll run into you again tomorrow where we ran into you a couple weeks ago. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1332 Registered: 1-2004 |
I'm still waiting for someone to answer my question which was 'Whose bright idea was it to accept Green Acres money for the basketball courts?' Why didn't Orange ask for this money so Orange could build courts on Valley Street by the park there? | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1333 Registered: 1-2004 |
Dave- I just say your post from 3 June. As you know from my message on your answering machine, I was computerless for a few days. I'm now back up and running on the new laptop I bought Sunday night. Finally catching up on MOL. When you said the kids were from the apartments, I thought you meant the ones in Orange, because that's where I know for a fact a number of them live. I didn't realize you meant the ones on the top of Meade. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1334 Registered: 1-2004 |
Sue- I'm not saying the children in our communities should not have friends from other communities. My nephews have friends from all over. I have no problem with the children of our town having their friends from out of town play on the courts with them. But it doesn't matter because we, the tax payers have no say in the matter anymore thanks to whoever approved Federal Funds for the project. I think the residents should have been asked for feedback before this was done. I'm curious, do you live in South Orange? Do you live near Cameron Field? | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1335 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hoops- You said: At times there will be players coming from other areas adults and younger children who will enjoy the courts. <<< I don't recall seeing 'younger children' on the courts at the Baird Center. They are usually teenager or young adults. Why do they need to come here to play? Why don't they play in their own community? You said: If you happen to pick a time that the court is already being used by other players then yes sorry but you should have arrived earlier. <<< Sorry, if a South Orange resident wants to play on the courts and there happens to be others playing who are not from town, who are not there as a guest of a South Orange resident, when they finish their game they should GIVE UP THE COURT to the children patiently waiting!!! Forget this 'play as long as you want garbage' basketball 'culture' or not. To me it's more like bully culture because you can bet your bottom dollar most little kids aren't going to say anything. I sure hope Andy puts some sort of rule on the time lengths the courts can be used to make it fair for EVERYONE! Especially since the town is now stuck with those living elsewhere seeming to have the same rights as those who actually live here. I also hope the South Orange Police strictly enforces the helmet law as it's difficult to explain to my nephews and other kids who live here why they have to wear helmuts, but the kids they see riding back into Orange don't wear them. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1336 Registered: 1-2004 |
County- It is not true, at least in my experience, that there are always people on the courts at the Baird Center looking for pick up games. My nephews wer told more then once to 'F off' when they asked if they could also play. Sorry, that is unexceptable. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1337 Registered: 1-2004 |
Phen You ask what's wrong with opening our summer baseball program to out of towners? Do you have children playing on any of our teams? For one, between games and practices, it's hard enough to get field time as it is. Adding out of town kids would mean we need more teams, not practical. It's (usually) the South Orange (and Maplewood) parents who volunteer their time to coach the teams. Though one of the coaches drives from all the way down the shore to coach a team. And as far as I know, he doesn't even have a child on the team he coaches. How many out of town kids would you allow to join teams, 'if there were slots?' As it is, any child (who lives in town) that wants to play on the baseball teams can play. How do we choose which out of town children play? If an out of town parent is willing to commit the time to coach a team, I might not be so against it. Why is it South Orange's problem these kids don't have a baseball program? Go to Hoop Heaven or the Y. Orange has one you know. And is it baseball or basketball we're talking about? It's hard enough for South Orange / Maplewood residents to get their kids in the day camps here. I don't think the program at the high school / middle school accepts out of towners. Maybe the Y does; but it's in Maplewood. Thanks for the information about the court on Liberty Ave. Not sure wher it atually is though; I was just at that Shop-Rite last week too! Hoop Heaven is easier and quicker to get to for us though. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 1338 Registered: 1-2004 |
Hank- Will the program at the Maplewood Rec Center be open to anyone? What time are the games? My nephews are going to several different camps this summer with only one or two weeks they'll be home b/c my niece from Florida is coming up to visit. Do the kids have to go each day, or can they go once or twice? They are going to Hoop Heaven for a week; but I thought it was at Hoop Heaven. I'll have to ask my sister. | ||
| Phenixrising Citizen Username: Phenixrising Post Number: 817 Registered: 9-2004 |
JTA You really misconstrued my post. I was referring to your quote earlier. JTA says, Now that I think of it, does this mean out of towns kids can now go to our summer basketball camp? Basketball not baseball. And this was more in reference to the Y in opening-up to outsiders which I should've indicated. The Summit Y opens their camps to surrounding towns. Regardless, SO accepted the Green Acre grant, therefore its open to all. | ||
| jayjay Citizen Username: Jayjayp Post Number: 14 Registered: 6-2005 |
I got this off the state's site which talks about Green Acres funding: "Answers to some commonly raised questions about Green Acres requirements follow: 1. Sites acquired or developed with assistance from (or through) Green Acres must be open to the public without discrimination or exclusion based on residency. 2. Scheduling the use of facilities at directly funded sites is allowable, provided that such programmed uses are not exclusive or discriminatory and that adequate provisions are made for daily or non-scheduled use. 3. Fees for use of directly funded sites are allowable. Differential fees for use by non-residents may also be charged but must be discussed with Green Acres to ensure equity for all New Jersey residents. All revenues derived from use or operation of directly funded sites must be employed for the operation, maintenance, or capital expenses of either that facility or the park and recreation system as a whole." Most of this discussion has focused on point #1. But take note of points 2 and 3. We need to consider this as well. |
