Clarkson and Rogers - How Bout A Community Center?

What if you could turn lead into gold? Or rather, what if you could take two unneeded discount stores and turn them into a real community center for the youth of the neighborhood?

The Q is just dreaming again. And yet, after tonight's Town Hall style meeting at our Councilman's office on Linden Blvd, I think the energy COULD be there to take something like this:

picture by babs

and turn it into something like this: The Door NYC.

To my mind, The Door is EXACTLY the model for a youth community center that we need right here in the 'Bush. Health services for teens. Arts. Music. Supportive counseling. Computer learning and jobs training. GED. And given the Councilman's past in martial arts...how about some martial arts thrown in to keep things martial? A drop in child care facility for youthful single moms needing a break before losing their minds, to talk with someone about the stresses of raising kids young and alone. How about...somebody doing SOMETHING for a change, and not just talking about their heartfelt commitment to the young at-risk folks of Flatbush, the kids most likely to need help at a super-critical juncture in their lives?

Or the landlord could rent to another 99 cent store and a check cashing place. What's so convenient about that combination is you can cash your check and walk next door to spend it on inexpensive crap.


P.S.
To prove the Q actually went to the meeting, here's a horribly out of focus picture showing some guy talking about some stuff he's really into. All in all, it was a good time, and the member was more engaged than usual, though things did start unforgivably late. And yes, the near miss in that last sentence made me giggle too. The Q has yet to fully grow up, though he's now over half his way towards typical expiration date.