[Vision2020] Family-Friendly Activities (was U of I Program Cuts)

[Jennifer Ingalls]

I'll reiterate what my parents said when I complained: "Only boring people
can be bored."

 

Jennifer L. Ingalls

  _____  

From: Donovan Arnold [mailto:donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 10:30 AM
To: 'vision 2020'; Jennifer Ingalls
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Family-Friendly Activities (was U of I Program
Cuts)

 


Jennifer,

 

I liked doing all those things too as a child in Moscow. But lets face it,
there is only so some many times you can visit the McConnell Mansion before
it no longer entertaining to a child. And camping doesn't count because you
have to leave Moscow to go do it.  

 

If you are an outdoors type of person, there are lots of things to do in
North Idaho. But for many people that are not, it leaves something to be
desired. 

 

One of the biggest complaints I heard from students was that there was
nothing to do in Moscow, and why so many people supported the Student
Recreation Building, which is more like a glorified and over priced Idaho
Athletic Club with a climbing wall then a recreation center for different
kinds of recreational activities. 

 

I do not think I have found a mother at UI that thought Moscow's daycare was
inexpensive. There is a huge waiting list too. 

 

What few things there are to do in Moscow, also cost a lot of money, which
is hard to afford when you have no money, because there are no jobs that pay
above what you need to scrape by. 

 

There is less to do in Moscow now then was when my Mother was child in
Moscow. 

 

We have no bowling alley. We have no roller skating ring. We have no IMax
Theater. We have fewer quality restaurants. We have no high tech gaming
center. We have no science discovery park, we have no big museums. No race
cars. No theme parks, no big fancy hangouts, we don't even really have a
year round swimming pool,  

 

The best thing Moscow has for entertainment is the Library. Which is a great
library, but hardly the place that comes to mind when we want to think about
entertainment. 

 

Yes, you can always THINK of something to do in Moscow, but that is the
problem, you really have to THINK, to find something to do. Its Midnight in
Moscow, besides the bars and the Jack N the Crack drive-thru, what is open?

 

Best Regards,

 

Donovan

 

 

 



--- On Wed, 1/14/09, Jennifer Ingalls <jennifer at inlandradio.com> wrote:

From: Jennifer Ingalls <jennifer at inlandradio.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Family-Friendly Activities (was U of I Program Cuts)
To: "'vision 2020'" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 1:27 PM

I don't necessarily want to get into the argument about diversity in Moscow
or at UI, but I do take some issue with Donovan's statement, "Not to mention
the lack of affordable child care, or family fun activities."

 

I grew up in Moscow and though my family had more money than families where
a student is the primary financier of the household, we were not at a loss
for family-friendly free activities (unless we were willfully bored). This
is not to say that we can't do better as a community at providing free
and/or inexpensive activities, but I think many of us forget those things
that are available to us. For example, I -regretfully-cannot remember the
last time I went to the McConnell Mansion or picked up a walking tour guide
of the towns history and hoofed it through Fort Russell (two activities that
occupied Spring and Summer days of my youth). The library (which I remember
as only being the old part of the building) was cool in the Summer and warm
in the Winter. Organizations like Campfire, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and
local churches provided the three of us a lot of fun and educational
activities (both our family's church of choice and the churches or religious
organizations of friends). My mom used to take us to Good Sam to distribute
our wares after craft days at the house. We'd ride bikes out to Robinson
Lake Park , "fish" in Hordeman's pond, or take advantage of all the
demonstrations, concerts and educational lectures the University offered.
There were a lot of things to do!

 

I'll grant that I was a nerdy kid (still am). I, too, would love to see more
activities available after school that would appeal to "at risk" youth (I AM
doing something about that with my involvement in Latah County Youth
Advocacy Council), but I don't think can jump on board with the whole
"there's nothing to do here" claim.  

 

 

Jennifer L. Ingalls

 

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