|
Butte-Silver Bow recreation suggestions all over the map
What readers said
By The Standard Staff - 08/09/2008
When you give people eight different answers to choose from, be prepared for a wide variety of responses to the question of the week.
That’s the main lesson learned from last week’s unscientific poll on future recreation spending priorities, but two choices in particular also made strong showings, together capturing nearly 60 percent of the vote: support for fixing up the parks Butte-Silver Bow already has and support for a water park.
Second place finishers were support for an outdoor swimming pool and more trail connections, with the rest mustering up less than 10 percent of the vote.
Here’s what readers had to say:
Not mentioned in the “recreation plan” is a public dirt bike park. It is consistent with all the Evel Knievel Days emphasis on safe biking practices, but is somehow forgotten.
Butte needs its streets fixed with all the potholes and cracked streets and Butte needs new parks for the kids so they will have something to do.
Whatever happened to the money to fix up the bathrooms and concession stand at Stodden Park? I know money was set aside a couple of years ago and nothing has been done. I find it very embarrassing because we have high school games, tournaments and regular city league games there from March to August. The sink in the concession stand should be condemned by the health department!
I’d like to see an 18-hole municipal golf course.
The last thing Butte needs to spend money on is a water park! A water park would only be used a short amount of time during the year.
Fix up the parks already in existence. Demolish the existing Corette Pool and build a new outside pool. Sell the naming rights to someone — 360 or Ueland. Also, bricks and other items around the pool can be memorialized with someone’s name for a price like they did at the Butte Central gym. Build a wind device to harness energy to operate the pool.
Build something for the youth of the town such as a roller skating rink.
Use some of the money to build something that will employ people and attract people from out of town.
My thoughts would be to have more things for little kids to do out and indoors. All of these casinos are getting to be too much. There really is nothing for the kids from the ages of 5 to 18. There really should be a center for the kids to do something. My kids get tired of going to just the YMCA all the time.
I have four kids, from the ages of 15 to 4. Now the older ones are old enough to work. But after work. I would really like to see them do something fun. The only thing around here for them to do is ride their bikes around town all day long. Now how much fun is that? Then there are my two other children. They are not old enough to ride around town. So what is there for them to do?
The parks and recreation meeting last week was a farce. It was entirely directed to the water park project with no mention of any of the other projects that need to be addressed such as local parks and trails. The tram/carousel has been ongoing for several years, but the directors of the planning board refuse to discuss the project at these meetings. Involve everybody.
How about a dog park? Currently there is nowhere to take a dog off leash. Most other cities have off-leash, fenced-in dog parks with a couple of clean ponds and trees. Many people enjoy taking their dog swimming and running. Somewhere safe would be nice. There are many prime locations where Butte could do something along those lines.
I feel there is a real need in the Butte community for at least one dog park. Dogs, as you know, are not allowed in any of the local parks, even on-leash, although dog owners pay the same taxes as non-dog owners, plus an additional dog license fee.
I live in a semi-rural area where people bring their animals for a run and though they are in the city and on a busy street they are unsafely off-leash. Let’s have a place for the dogs to play and run free — perhaps there won’t be as many running loose where they’re not allowed to be. Other cities have nice facilities for their animals. It would be a great addition to Butte.
As an adult tennis player in Butte-Silver Bow, I would like to see an indoor facility with about four tennis courts. The tennis club that now exists in Butte could lend their expertise in planning.
On a side note I was in Kalispell and had the opportunity to have a tour of “The Summit” medical fitness center that is in cooperation with Kalispell Medical Center. It is fantastic and awesome what is housed in one big facility. Their Web site is: summithealthcenter.com.
When did it become the government’s job to pay for leisure?
If you want recreation, pay for it yourself. Stop wasting taxpayer dollars on this kind of crap. The gravy train is over folks.
Doesn’t the “gravy train” include money for a settlement from a company that obliterated previous resources and recreational opportunities? Not sure how much of this is actual taxpayer money. Either way, improving Butte’s parks would be money well spent. Private recreation options would be nice, but no one is stepping up to the plate and making those kind of investments.
| Civil Dialogue: | show/hide -No comments posted.- |
|
The site mtstandard.com provides this community forum for readers to exchange ideas and opinions on the news of the day. Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude language and personal abuse are not welcome. Moderators will monitor comments with an eye toward maintaining a high level of civility in this forum. If you don't see your comment, perhaps... more
|
|
|
TOP JOBS
|
The Montana Standard reserves the right to remove comments considered inappropriate for the community forum.