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

[Donovan Arnold]

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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