Do West "O" golfers have enough golfing opportunities?
Non-country club opportunities?
Cheap, open to the public, opportunities?
That's part of the question for Mayor Suttles's determination on whether to close Westwood Heights 9 hole golf course at 129th & Center.
But isn't another part how successful the course is in comparison to other courses in town -- if indeed the city is going to be in the golf course business?
According to the OWH this morning, though Westwood loses money every year, it is still the most successful of the 9 hole public courses:
Westwood tends to lose less money than the other nine-hole courses while serving more golfers.
The city's other 18 hole courses keep the 9 hold courses going.
Of course, you should ask as well, how many people learn to play on that Westwood course? How many then go on to play at the 18 hole courses?
And not to pile on City Parks administrator Steve Scarpello, but...
Public courses were created to provide an affordable alternative to country clubs, he said, and the need for affordable courses remains.
“You can't say there are a lot of (golfing) options in that part of the city,” he said.Uh, well yeah Steve. You can golf at Highland. Or Happy Hollow. Or Oak Hill. Or Shadow Ridge. Or even Sunset.
If you're a member.
("He's not a member Grampa, he's a CADDY...")
Public? Well, there's Pacific Springs and Johnny Goodman, I suppose. But again, those are 18 hole courses, hardly for the beginner.
So instead we get back to the question of what does it all cost. Someone proposed increasing fees by two bucks.
Well, that's a fine idea so the Mayor's going to spend NINETEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS to see if that's a good idea.
Here's an idear: Give Westwood the nineteen grand, and just keep it open, and increase the fees by one or two bucks and see what happens. Or have your new highly paid Finance Director figure it out.
In any case, way to continue to piss people off, Your Honor.
***
Back to the "Figuring it out on your own" category, former Council Jim Vokal will be announcing, via his group OMAPAC, that they've raised enough cash to keep Elmwood Pool open for another week.
I don't know Jim, I think that money would have been better spent on a consultant to see if you COULD keep the pool open another week...
Also, note that unelected community leaders, Virgil Patlan and Hal Daub among them, are working to do the same thing for Hitchcock Pool.
Though apparently the Big Cheese at City Hall thinks it's a better idea to close those pools and have the youth of the city with no where to go, while out of school, during the hottest month of the year.
(Though apparently there are tee-times available at Fontenelle Golf Course...)
***
The race for the 2nd District Congressional seat is already getting attention -- basically because President Obama won the district's electoral vote, even though Congressman Lee Terry was re-elected .
So now we already see Dems getting into a lather about Tom White contesting, and the national GOP willing to give Terry some attention and the fundraising already going on.
Others (ahem) have suggested that Terry is behind on fundraising, particularly in comparison to Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith. Which is knotheaded of course, considering that Fort and Smith had nominal challenges in 2008.
Also consider that Terry had to spend all his money in the 2008 race to beat back all the Obama cash, and wasn't able to transfer any into his 2010 coffers, as he has in the past. We're told that Terry's 1Q and 2Q campaign fundrasiing receipts are on target, and look forward to sustained funding for 2010.
Anyone who thinks Tom White will have the same sort of support Esch garned via Obama in 2008, for White's 2010 campaign is sorely mistaken.
Anything you see otherwise is political spin at the highest level. You've been notified.
Public? Well, there's Pacific Springs and Johnny Goodman, I suppose. But again, those are 18 hole courses, hardly for the beginner.
So instead we get back to the question of what does it all cost. Someone proposed increasing fees by two bucks.
Well, that's a fine idea so the Mayor's going to spend NINETEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS to see if that's a good idea.
Here's an idear: Give Westwood the nineteen grand, and just keep it open, and increase the fees by one or two bucks and see what happens. Or have your new highly paid Finance Director figure it out.
In any case, way to continue to piss people off, Your Honor.
***
Back to the "Figuring it out on your own" category, former Council Jim Vokal will be announcing, via his group OMAPAC, that they've raised enough cash to keep Elmwood Pool open for another week.
I don't know Jim, I think that money would have been better spent on a consultant to see if you COULD keep the pool open another week...
Also, note that unelected community leaders, Virgil Patlan and Hal Daub among them, are working to do the same thing for Hitchcock Pool.
Though apparently the Big Cheese at City Hall thinks it's a better idea to close those pools and have the youth of the city with no where to go, while out of school, during the hottest month of the year.
(Though apparently there are tee-times available at Fontenelle Golf Course...)
***
The race for the 2nd District Congressional seat is already getting attention -- basically because President Obama won the district's electoral vote, even though Congressman Lee Terry was re-elected .
So now we already see Dems getting into a lather about Tom White contesting, and the national GOP willing to give Terry some attention and the fundraising already going on.
Others (ahem) have suggested that Terry is behind on fundraising, particularly in comparison to Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith. Which is knotheaded of course, considering that Fort and Smith had nominal challenges in 2008.
Also consider that Terry had to spend all his money in the 2008 race to beat back all the Obama cash, and wasn't able to transfer any into his 2010 coffers, as he has in the past. We're told that Terry's 1Q and 2Q campaign fundrasiing receipts are on target, and look forward to sustained funding for 2010.
Anyone who thinks Tom White will have the same sort of support Esch garned via Obama in 2008, for White's 2010 campaign is sorely mistaken.
Anything you see otherwise is political spin at the highest level. You've been notified.
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