re: Old High School

["Kenton Bird" <KBird@vines.ColoState.EDU>]

Visionaries:
As a member of the mayor's study committee that studied city acquisition of 
the 1912 MHS two years ago, allow me to add some perspective about the 
committee's rationale for favoring purchase:

1. The existing community center (first floor of City Hall)  is used nearly 
every day of the week.  Try to schedule a meeting there on a weekday evening 
and you run up against an aerobics class, reception, workshop.
2. Moscow is fortunate in having its major public buildings -- City Hall, 
courthouse, police station, public library -- centrally located.  It's 
possible to park in one spot (say, Jefferson Street between 4th and 5th) and 
do a half-dozen errands on foot.  Consultation among elected officials is 
enhanced by physical proximity.   (That's one reason why I opposed the School 
District's decision to move its administrative offices out of the downtown 
core.)
3. The Whitworth block is ideally situated to become part of an 
arts/education/culture complex.  It's directly across the street from the 
McConnell Mansion and Latah County Historical Society; it's two short blocks 
from the public library.  (The library is eager to have a nearby location for 
book storage and community Internet access.)
4. Many of the activities at the Community Center occur on evenings and 
weekends, so parking spaces at the high school and courthouse (not that far to 
walk) would be available for events at the 1912 MHS.   The one potential 
conflict was the Tuesday-Thursday senior lunches, but creative minds should be 
able to come up with solutions (dial-a-ride, carpools, shuttle from a 
satellite parking lot, etc.)

A centrally located community center can be used by more people with fewer 
cars than one at a more distant location (such as Mountainview and F, the site 
of the new pool).

I, too, hope the City Council tonight can come to terms with the School Board 
on transfer of this valuable piece of property.

--Kenton

**



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Original Message - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BIG SNIP	

	Many others claim that a Community Center is desperately needed.  This 
may
be true.  It makes sense to me to locate a community center with the new
pool.  There are 9 acres at the site and it seems that the center there
could better utilize all of the facilities available.  Also, it would not
add to a problem that all ready exists around the old high school,  the
lack of off street parking.

ANOTHER SNIP	Kenton Bird, Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Journalism & Technical Communication
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1785
Voice: (970) 491-5986     Fax: (970) 491-2908
E-mail: KBird@vines.colostate.edu