Historical October–November 1996 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
It is already fall although the beautiful warm days may delude us into thinking that winter is a long way away.
As the days grow shorter and cooler, the need for a place for recreation activity for our youth becomes more evident. One of the original impetuses behind the creation of community education centers in St. Louis was to create schools that did not close their doors at 3:30 p.m.. Instead, the school could be a haven for youth, a place where kids could partake in sports, study and receive assistance with homework, a welcome refuge in uneasy times. Unfortunately, Hamilton has not provided this bridge to young people.
They are asked to pay $2 per person if they would to shoot hoops, provided that the gym is open to them. Firefighters and staff from McDonald’s rent the gym for their recreation. Hamilton still offers a variety of classes for those interested, including foreign languages and aerobics.
I am sure those classes are profitable to those who take them but they represent the same type and level of activity that existed before the community education center concept was put into place. No one institution can serve everyone all the time. But, one would think that, in these times, activities for youth would be a top priority. Hopefully, in this new school year, there can be greater emphasis on creative programming that will serve many young people in this area.
The dances at Hamilton have met with some success. Let’s use that energy to create a more holistic approach for our youth.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October–November 1996.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1996_10.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
