Tuesday, January 18, 2011

A Community House Ahead?


August 1966
   How about a community house for Rochester?
  As a result of some recent exchange of letters, a local organization is thinking about taking the reins and setting out with a community house for a goal. But before it moves a foot, the group would like to first determine the public’s reaction.
  The whole business started a month ago when a teenager wrote that there is nothing for teens to do here in the summer months. A teen-age center with dances was the thought in mind.
  The idea is now expanded to provide a “Community House” that would not only provide a center for teen activities, but would also be a meeting place for many organizations and suitable for special events. What the backers have in mind is a community house such as is found in Birmingham and Grosse Pointe. It is envisioned to include recreational facilities and both small and large meeting rooms.
  There would be space for daytime instructional classes such as arts and crafts and a center for the Senior Citizens. It would also provide space for private parties such as teas, fashion shows and wedding receptions.
  What does the public think about such an idea? How would a community provide such a facility? Do you belong to an organization that may use it? The public should express its views by writing Box 215, Rochester, Mich.
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  SWINGING DOWN through Ontario on our family vacation tour last week, we treated our kids to the spectacle of Niagara Falls for the first time. It was 15 years ago since I had visited the falls. On the Canadian side, there was almost nothing recognizable except the falls themselves.
  “As far as I’m concerned, they’ve ruined the place,” one old-time filling station operator told me. But he wasn’t turning down any customers. The town now looks like a full-fledged carnival, complete with wax museums and a host of other attractions not remotely associated with the falls. Competing now with the Maid of the Mist are three observation towers and a squadron of helicopters circling the main attraction.
  Niagara is one of the few examples where the Americans have not been able to capitalize on a commercial venture better than their competitor across the river. A new observation platform has gone up on the American side but that is meager compared with the Canadian side.
  One of the better things to see is the new aquarium built by New York State. It houses an outstanding display of ocean life said to be one of the best in the country. One more observation. If you’re vacationing to get away from people, probably Niagara Falls isn’t the place to be.       
                                                  
  A Closing Thought: All too often, a clear conscience is merely the result of a bad memory.