New Haven Independent

Posted by: on whalley | March 20, 2008 11:45 AM

Something for the youth because people are getting shot?

What exactly will stop drug-dealing, gun toting thugs from drug dealing and gun toting? A YMCA? We have one of those. A library? We have a few of those. A club with dancing and music? We have a few of those too. A movie theater? We had one that nobody went to now we have one that some people go to.

What exactly is the big proposed attraction that will prove more enticing to criminals than crime? If you find that I think you'll solve most of the crime problems of the world.

We could offer the world to criminal kids and it still won't be enough. There may be some who commit crimes for something tangible like money or cars but what of those who commit crimes for the intangible like "respect" and "street-cred" and for the obvious advantage of attracting easy women? Maybe a boxing club with plenty of hookers around could satisfy those criminals?

I say put in a shooting range. It's be nice to not have to drive to Wallingford or Guilford all the time. I could just walk on over after work and get my practice in.

Posted by: Webblog 1 | March 20, 2008 12:41 PM

"The Reel News crew -- city public high-school students Devon Youmans, Miya Brooks, and Bianka O'Bryan -- took the public pulse about what should rise from the ashes of the Dec. 12 three-alarm fire".

To:
Devon, Miya,and Bianka.

No pulse, Presently zoned for business, Idea will not fly.
Sorry......

Posted by: Molly Wheeler | March 20, 2008 1:21 PM

This would be a great opportunity for the city to involve its youth in making an important development decision. The last thing that New Haven needs is a new complex of stores that most of its residents can't shop at or condos that people can't afford to buy. Let a portion of Chapel St. represent the city outside of Yale. Laron suggests a rec. center, a neutral place for youth to visit and be active. Sounds like a great idea. Way to go Youth Rights Media!

Posted by: charlie | March 20, 2008 1:59 PM

We need a tax producing property so that these kids can have teachers and books.

Maybe when they graduate from college, they can find a job in the 25-story office tower that is about to be announced for the site.

Posted by: ball-zee | March 20, 2008 2:13 PM

Good job youth media with your presentation, however, is a rec center where these gangsta's can congregate and shoot at each other in a central location really a good idea. The YMCA didnt help and like On Whalley said there are libraries and movie theaters that the youth already ignore. Huh, should I make money selling crack or go read a book at the library? hard question for a broke youth who believes drugs are the future and only key to his success. Maybe they should put in a bus station to help the good people do the right thing and leave New Haven before they get killed. Lets face the facts the youth of New Haven dont stand a chance in the current system big changes are needed and a rec center isnt one of them. Maybe we should get all the youths together, make two teams, arm them and whoever wins wins. At least half of the hoodlums will then be gone. We could have Lt Holly be the illegal strip searcher to make sure no one brings there own weapons.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | March 20, 2008 2:14 PM

First....
I love your story's guys great reporting!

But as Webblog 1 has stated it will not happen. The ground level store fronts will rent out at about $25 per square foot on that block.

But my suggestion to you is... Gateway is going up... it is a state community college. I would target them for use of space.

Posted by: elmcityguy | March 20, 2008 2:53 PM

I'll never understand why the kids who voice their concerns and wants here are routinely trashed. Maybe the ideas aren't the best, but that doesn't mean every young black male who wants a place to hang out is dealing crack and shooting people.

It's disgusting to see kids who are taking an active role in trying to make the city better be called thugs and criminals. They may need to learn why that location isn't the best for what they want, but they are trying to be part of a solution, and all they get are insults.

Posted by: Courtney | March 21, 2008 1:33 AM

I like the fact that these kids are harnessing the power of video, but for all of the things i hear about youth rights media, i have never actually seen one of their videos on television. Will this be on CTV or Fox kids news or somewhere other than a fundraising event?
Glad to see kids shooting video rather than guns, perhaps they'll gain a career in media.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | March 21, 2008 9:01 AM

elmcityguy
Lighten up. First I commented the truth. and so did everyone else. I also offered a do-able location,in there efforts to a neutral place.
When these you kids post there videos.....the one thing they do is provoke debate on the issues they have reported on. I don't know about you but if a reporter can do that then he has done his job great! It is the ultimate compliment to get a debate going on a story.
Do you think we should give them fluffy comments? Or give them comments that show that there story moved people on a situation that is happening.

Posted by: Edward_H | March 21, 2008 1:40 PM

ELMCITYGUY

but that doesn't mean every young black male who wants a place to hang out is dealing crack and shooting people.

It's disgusting to see kids who are taking an active role in trying to make the city better be called thugs and criminals

Who posted that? I must have missed it. Was it edited out by time I read the comments? I don't see any comments here calling every young black male anything nor has anyone called the kids in this article thugs and criminals. People seem to be concerned about the criminal element within the teenage demographic that makes things hard for everyone. Who mentioned anything about race?

Posted by: Fairhaven Dave | March 21, 2008 6:43 PM

"We need a tax producing property so that these kids can have teachers and books."

Well said, Charlie. There are plenty of locations that could be converted to a rec center as it is. Sacrificing tax base and businesses in an economically parched downtown is not the best idea. A well intentioned idea perhaps, but not a good one.

Posted by: Steve Ross | March 22, 2008 2:15 PM

I say put in a shooting range. It's be nice to not have to drive to Wallingford or Guilford all the time. I could just walk on over after work and get my practice in.

Yes, for someone with such fear of violence this seems logical.

Posted by: Fairhaven Dave | March 23, 2008 6:20 PM

Buy a shotgun, practice with it, and see how much better you sleep at night.

I know from personal experience, the sound of one of those cocking will drive even the most determined and demented of criminals out of your apartment/home/condo. The police were irritated that I took matters into my own hands, but it DID take them over twenty minutes to arrive...

Posted by: cedarhillresident | March 24, 2008 5:17 PM

I would love to see the next story be about other viable places that a neutral for the youth center. Downtown is a really hard place to place it but someone must have a solution. Again I say Gateway because the youth of the city will be the future students of that school...and if kids felt comfortable with the college, that may even make going to college a do-able plan for kids that may of never thought it was....which would increase enrollment and even possibly allow the college to grow....and make college a goal for kids that may never of had it in there life plans...I see som many positive with that site donating use of space for such a place!

Posted by: david streever | March 24, 2008 7:34 PM

I think the comments were racist, despite people deliberately misreading them.

I think On Whalley though wins the award for his/her cowardly sentiments! Kudos to you. It must be wonderful to be an anonymous person on the internet.

I think the city needs things for young people to do more than it needs yet another overpriced condo or stupid office tower.

Good luck to the YMR: don't take the cowardly ramblings of anonymous people too seriously.

Posted by: ericaholahan | March 25, 2008 3:27 AM

Cedar Hill Resident,

Your comments to Elm City Guy are troubling. He speaks his truth, you speak yours. Is the truth objective? Not really.

In my experience, young people are often not taken seriously nor are they actually listened to. It is great to provoke debate, but it can be done in a more respectful way than I often see on the NHI blogs.

These students are our future (not to paraphrase Whitney Houston), after all.

And I don't see what purpose telling someone to lighten up serves. If someone feels strongly about something, why to do they have to be light about it? And who are you to decide or judge?

Posted by: on whalley | March 25, 2008 8:06 AM

?????

What exactly is "cowardly" about the truth? Obviously any kid around here who wonders "where can I go to hang out?" or "what will I do over Summer break?" isn't the problem. The kids that are the problem kids don't care one way or the other about what there is or is not to do because they've been doing what they want to do and will continue to do so. And where are all the "racist" comments? I didn't mention "white" or "black" once in my post. So some "non-racists" read race into my post and decided to complain about it? ?????

Seriously, what exactly is cowardly about that? The accusation doesn't make any sense.

BTW, you already know my name Streever. You wanted the truing stand I was giving away but you got third in line and somebody else picked it up. I also poked fun at you for being a "scenester." You also know me for my absolute hatred of having Feiner or anyone else pepper my property with advertisements. Now how exactly does knowing who I am change anything I've said? That's right. It doesn't.

You keep doing that. Trying to "call out" people for using nicknames. What are you trying to accomplish? You want to have a series of schoolyard fistfights or something? I really don't get it.

Oh! I get it! Because I'd rather go to a range in my own town I must be afraid of highway travel, right? That's where the cowardice comes in? I'm afraid of highways?

It's a real question: what will prove a more enticing after-school attraction to criminals than crime? What is cowardly or racist about that?

Posted by: Edward_H | March 25, 2008 12:00 PM

For all the kvetching about racism, not one person has quoted a previous comment from anyone as an example of a racist statement. The only statement here that MIGHT be considered racist could be BALL-ZEE's but even that is a stretch. Unless criticizing criminal youth is now considered racist.

Streever

I think On Whalley though wins the award for his/her cowardly sentiments!

Exactly what makes ONWHALLEY's sentiments cowardly? OnWhalley posts his thoughts and observations and engages in debate and discussion when questioned. What is cowardly about that? Are you showing courage by calling people racists and cowards?

ONWHALLEY

Usually the first person to call someone a racist is the biggest racist in the room.

NHI

Why is it that some comments are edited yet people are allowed to call others racist?