Good news neighbors, I’m not here to crunch numbers. Boring. That job is best left to the bean counters and kept far away from the aging rock and rollers such as myself. Besides, I’m more of a “values” voter anyway. I prefer to look at the big picture before sweating the small stuff. And to this moderately educated citizen, the potential benefits of Upper Arlington finally building a community center far outweigh the risk. 

My son is now a Junior at UAHS. (Shout out to all his excellent teachers and coaches through the years.) But when he was just a wee lad, we had a hard time finding a place to hang our hats. Especially during the winter months. He loved basketball and running around (still does) but if we wanted to do anything like that we had to drive up to Dublin and use their rec center. That never made sense to me. 

As much as I enjoy living in UA, I have never understood why we don’t have a community center. It can’t be that hard to build one. I mean, literally…..EVERY other town in central Ohio has one except us. What makes them so smart? Why is this so tough?

I grew up in Worthington and remember going to our rec center every Friday night WHEN I WAS IN 5TH GRADE. (Code for a very long time ago.) My parents would say, “You aren’t just sitting home tonight watching Dukes of Hazzard and playing Atari again, mister. We are dropping you at the rec center so you can get out of this house.” Later, during high school, my band Watershed would play our very first gigs there. 

It was a blast. I have very fond memories of those times. Now, as a parent, it seems pretty obvious if you want to get kids off screens and out of the basement we must provide some viable alternatives. Nothing isn’t a great alternative option. 

I will concede that until we build a time machine there is no way to visit the future and guarantee everything will work out perfectly. Maybe the project is a bust. Maybe it’s Macy’s 2.0 with a Jacuzzi. Anything worth doing involves some risk and a little sacrifice. In my personal case as a musician and small business owner I’ve become accustomed to economic uncertainty. Sometimes you’ve just gotta roll them bones. That’s how things get done. Humans would still be sitting around in the dark without fire if we listened to the cave-person who said “Don’t start that blaze, I could get burned”. 

 Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Winners play and players win. 

And I can’t imagine a better opportunity than the plan currently presented coming along anytime soon. This is most likely a one-shot deal.  It is a true mix of public and private with solid leadership on all sides. They have been seeking citizen input for years on the project and have been transparent throughout the entire process. If you don’t know what’s going on by now, that is on you, not the city. They have done so many community input events concerning this issue that - frankly - I’m tired of talking about it. There is no secret agenda. The plan is the plan as stated. Vote for it or against based on its merits and not on a wacky conspiracy theory you might have overheard at MCL Cafeteria. (Though that mac n cheese is delicious.)

In closing, my Dad used to tell me “If you are having trouble making a decision, take money out of the equation and you will usually find your answer.” I’d like to note for the record, unlike his son, my Dad is a staunch lifelong Republican and that is advice I still take to this day. So taking money out of it, heck’s yeah I’d love to see this issue passed by my fellow Golden Bears.

How amazing would it be to see the community center rise in a spot that had been dormant for so long? Providing wellness & happiness for kids, parents & seniors for generations to come. A place for neighbors to mingle face to face and not just through social media where things can get nasty. It would literally help build a stronger, friendlier Upper Arlington Community for all residents. What is the price tag on that?  I guess we will find out the answer on May 4th.  Vote however you want, but please vote. That is how democracy works. I promise we will still be friends. Peace.

I voted Yes on Issue 2. And yes, I voted early. (Right after I got my second vaccine shot.) 

Colin Gawel founded Pencilstorm and wrote this at Colin’s Coffee. His music is on Spotify/Youtube as both a solo artist and the band Watershed.