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Recreation can help with unification
Published Sunday, October 18, 2009
In two weeks voters will head to the polls in what may be a pivotal, community-changing vote on recreation.
On Nov. 3, Adams County voters will be asked to voice their support or opposition on pursuing a new recreation complex to be created by the city, county and school district.
The ballot referendum is “non-binding,” meaning it simply serves as a public show of support for the idea of building a complex. It does not commit the community to anything.
Recreation isn’t a city thing or a county thing, a black thing or a white thing. It’s not a young thing or and old thing.
It’s a necessary thing for our community.
Let’s face it, as nostalgic as it may be to say to a 10-year-old, “You know, your grandfather played on this very baseball field,” our current facilities are woefully subpar.
Many of the people promoting the passage of the referendum and the ultimate construction of a recreation complex are lobbying the issue almost solely on the possibility of great economic development.
The theory is a new recreation complex would attract lots of out-of-towners. That may be so, however, I’m much less concerned about how many dollars the complex attracts and more about how much its existence can help our community cast off some of its past and present divisions.
We know and admit Natchez and Adams County are at least 20 years behind the times in recreation facilities. But we’re further behind if you consider how our community plays together.
It’s almost 2010 and Natchez still has two youth baseball leagues, both of whose history stems from a time when little white boys and little black boys were not allowed by their parents to play together.
While both the Natchez Dixie Youth Baseball League and the T.M. Jennings Baseball League are theoretically integrated, the fact that our community still has two historically race-tied leagues is troubling in the subtle message it sends.
Two leagues are yet another small wall that separates our community, just a little.
Our children only know what we teach them.
And if we teach them it is OK to have what some people still regard as the “white league” and the “black league” then we should not be surprised when they grow up thinking skin color matters.
No one from either side should feel ashamed of being involved with either league; both have helped improve the lives of thousands of young players through the years.
But it’s time to make a fundamental change.
A new recreational complex could help end those long-standing separations by having one, unified league playing at a central state-of-the-art facility.
Consolidation of youth baseball will take both sides giving up some of their history and identity.
But a new league cannot be called “Dixie Youth” and it cannot be called “T.M. Jennings.” Those names hint to a past that should be retired to history.
Any hang-ups with such a consolidation will be from the adults, not the children — and the recreation issue should be about our children first and foremost. Only when our children — black, white and all shades in between — play together will our community truly become unified
Representatives from both leagues can work out the details together, further showing our children how unified we can be. What a great example for the youth to see adults come together for a common goal.
But the first step in that goal is voting “yes” on Nov. 3 to show our elected leaders that this community is serious about recreation — and its unified future.
Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.
Comments
Posted by Idefinitelymight (Tom Scarborough) on October 18, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hammer, meet Nail.
Posted by CHall1229 (Christina Hall) on October 18, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Both races playing ball together works just fine over at the girls softball field, so we know it can be done.
Posted by eawprops (anonymous) on October 18, 2009 at 10:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It sounds like a great idea for Natchez. I really think the problem though is what TAXPAYERS are going to say. This last report of taxes for last month being way down and our property taxes going up. People are going to be concerned that this will be an additional tax. If the city and county can pull it off without more taxes then everyone would say YES!!!!
Posted by grungebob (anonymous) on October 18, 2009 at 4:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I enjoy plenty of recreation in these chats rooms working out on our local politicians. The ND had a bone in its teeth all week about the mayor and boa. Don't let up now, Mr. Cooper. Keep hammering their (thumb) nails.
Posted by ntz143 (anonymous) on October 18, 2009 at 5:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
we have two youth basketball leagues too...the private schools have one, then everybody else has one. The only sports that are racially mixed are softball and soccer. It is ridiculous that in 2009 we are still living in any form of segregation in youth sports. Our neighborhoods are integrated...even our private schools are. How far do you think Trinity's football team would have gone in past years without the Ridley boys? not very! The time for looking down at someone because of their race is long past.....maybe through recreation reform we can FINALLY catch up with the rest of the state and country....do I think its going to happen? Not likely. When a current executive officer of one of the garden clubs was asked a few days ago the chances of the pageant being rewritten to include our entire history, her response was "not gonna happen". This is a person that has the power to make that happen, who is an educator and could truly make a difference. Instead, she is going with "status quo".
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 6:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No, it's a FINANCIAL thing.
this will make the lack of grass-cutting monies look like peanuts. how do you think this will get "paid" for?
HIGHER TAXES (and didn't they just jack them up, AGAIN?).
Posted by OldGrandDad (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 6:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ntz143, concerning the pageant..... Our current pageant is obviously not meant for tourists or out-of-towners. It is a silly little social vehicle that is used for folks to parade their grandchildren in. Honestly, what does a "King" or "Queen" have to do with Natchez? People that have travelled elsewhere and have seen real pageants are highly embarrassed when they return and see our own and realize that this is what we try to show to tourists.
Posted by Intrepid (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 6:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What is this thing supposed to entail? We have a very nice baseball complex on Liberty Rd., the complex with the basketball courts off of Concord, the area with the basketball goals and the pavillion off of Lynda Lee. Is this facility supposed to have something different than what we already have? Don't just ask us yes or no, give us some details so we can make an edjucated decision. 'Cause let's face it, the youth who stand on the corners and sell dope just want to stand on the corners and sell dope. They're not interested in any recreational facilty except to have another area to sell dope. Without more details I'm definitely voting NO!
Remember when we had the pool at Duncan Park? Anybody wanna throw a guess at what happened to that?
Posted by Crakalakin (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"I’m much less concerned about how many dollars the complex attracts and more about how much its existence can help our community cast off some of its past and present divisions."
I cannot believe I just read that. Sorry Kevin but there is no basis for such a notion in reality. I think that is the crux of the matter here. You and others are looking at this possible complex as a panacea for a broken community. It smacks of desperate people out of ideas.
Build a recreation complex. It will eventually be just another costly place decent parents don't let their kids go.
You want to cast of some divisions? Make it safe for my child to walk the streets. When white people are no longer cattle for the slaughter or targets of opportunity, maybe the divisions will be cast off. When black kids can act decently and get an education without being referred to by their own as an "oreo" or "Uncle Tom", then maybe those divisions will begin to be cast off. When I am as safe in a black neighborhood as a black person is in my neighborhood, then we can talk. Until then, save the feel-good PC nonsense for the kool-aid drinkers. A recreation complex will do nothing for race relations.
So far, there is not one thing regarding this rec complex that is based in reality. Either a bunch of people are going to magically appear and spend all kinds of money here or it will solve 150 years of racial tensions. Jeez, get real.
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
..."silly little event", talk about nails getting hit on the head, OGD, right on. SO TRUE(and what's even funnier than that...it used to be a show of personal wealth and elevation in society, but now, it is as you say...Grandma and Grandpa footing the bill...seems their spoiled little "Kings and Queens" didn't always do well enough to get out from under Daddy and Mommy's money shield) I am one of the people who has seen other portrayals of "Old South" life...OUR'S IS EMBARRASSING!!
...why don't we keep the Gala's private Natchez stuff, and re-write a pageant for the tourists...maybe tell what the "real" Old South was like for everyone that didn't own a cotton field and an antebellum home? Real Historical stuff, with multi-media...tell about our port, Under-the-Hill racetracks...the prostitutes, the early Jewish settlement...there is so much history to be explorerd here, the slave trading...Heck, in my lifetime, I've had as many tourists ask me directions to Nellie Jackson's place as I have ask me directions to the Carriage House.
Build a museum instead of baseball parks...what are there 5 teams playing now days...a new bunch of baseball parks is not going to be the save all of the community...
And one last thing....did you guys really miss the metaphor in Greg's speech the other night? He knows tourism is not the answer, but like he DID say, until the school system is fixed, until Natchez gets its proverbial "Stuff" together, the EDA can disband, the BOA, the BOS, and the Mayor can only hope to draw more gambling boats, more conventioneers, and more tourists. The only hope we have as a community is to give up the racism, the fear, and join together to get a
better public school system than is being offered now. We need to fire the school board, the present school admistration, fire a bunch of teachers who can neither speak the English language nor teach it, and hire teachers who want to teach, are the best qualified to teach, and pay them accordingly... We need to scrap it and begin again with imput from all parties involved. Kids that are disruptive, and the parents that support that behavior should be fired, too.
We need to abandon the assumption that anyone owes anyone, anything. We will provide the best fascilities, the best teachers, and the best enviroment we are able to muster...if you want it a good education is available to you, but you have to earn it...go to class, participate in class, behave in class, and learning will be easy. And we will promise you that because the teachers we hire will be real teachers, not baby sitters...if you do not earn your grades, you will not be given them...if you flunk, you will not move to the next grade...if you drop out, you will not be allowed back in until the next school year begins...make some rules.
--mojo
Posted by grungebob (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It shoukd be obvious from the weekend's non events that we need a really BIG rec center the balloon races can be held indoors.
Posted by kooncat (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 8:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There may be a need for a recreation park, but the city and county have way too many other issues to iron out before we go in further debt. And those that keep saying this ballpark will not cost the city or county any money are living a pipe dream. Let's get our balance sheet in better shape before we keep spending money with the mentality, "build and they will come". The few people that are spearheading this do not have the true facts on who will be responsible for the payback. Most likely it will be the taxpayers.
I am elated with the speech by Greg Iles. That was right on target and he has the guts to say things most will not say in public. Greg is a big advocate of the new ball park as is the Natchez Democrat. But as far as I can tell we still are not sure how it will be funded and paid back. Until there is a clear busines plan on this project I will remain cautious towards moving forward.
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 8:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
if everyone here is so 'the current elected officials are clueless', why would you give them access to more money and a bigger burden than what they can 'handle' now?
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