We hear it all the time: There’s nothing for the youth to do in
Hollister.
We hear it all the time: There’s nothing for the youth to do in Hollister.
People say that the lack of an outlet for youthful energy exacerbates the gang problem and leads to an increase in juvenile crime. Now help is on the way – the local YMCA is looking to give kids some options for their free time by building a multi-million dollar recreation center near Ladd Lane School.
That’s a great idea, but we think organizers should find a better location for the top-of-the-line recreation center they envision.
The Y wants to raise $12 to $16 million to buy the property extending from behind Ladd Lane School to Union Road, which is currently owned by the Hollister School District. The “first-class” facility they’d like to build there would include basketball courts, exercise equipment, a community center, meeting rooms and at least two badly-needed community pools.
Like we said, those are all great ideas, and it’s a plan we whole-heartedly support. But instead of building a new facility near the outskirts of town, why not use the old Fremont School on Fourth Street or build the recreation center on Park Hill – locations that are more accessible to kids on the west side of town and within walking distance from downtown?
With a more centralized location, parents could drop off their children at the Y and mosey on downtown for a cup of coffee or to do a little shopping – giving kids an entertaining outlet and putting some much-needed cash into downtown merchants’ coffers at the same time.
The proposed location near Union Road would mean many kids would have to be dropped off by their parents, and if we’re going to spend millions of dollars on a new rec center, why not find the best location to draw as much participation as possible?
Law enforcement officials say many children get into gangs or cause trouble because they don’t have another outlet or support base. This can be a great opportunity for the community to take a proactive approach to preventing juvenile crime and helping kids keep their lives on the right path.
Sheriff Curtis Hill, who serves on the YMCA’s Board of Managers, said the focus of the project is the youth, and that the facility will be the “biggest thing to happen to San Benito County in 100 years.”
“This is all part of a bigger picture to get after gang issues and build families,” Hill told the Free Lance recently.
We believe he is right, but the YMCA should be closer to the core of our city to ensure all kids in the community have a chance to use its amenities.
