Rough Draft sketch of Downtown Arena on Walking Mall

Below is a rough-draft sketch of an idea for an Arena downtown on the walking mall.

Scale is One square block = 10' x 10'.

Why should an Arena be downtown?

Maybe for obvious reason posted on Thursday, February 11th but consider this ...

- US Air Arena was located where? But where did they build the Verizon Center?


- RFK was located where?  But FedEx field was built where?  Now there is talk about building another stadium where?

- Where is Washington Nationals stadium located?

The perception is that Washington, DC has figured out that arena and stadiums need to be in the heart of the City to be most successful.

Big Idea ... Build an Arena downtown on the walking mall

Mr. Jimmy Dix (resident of Winchester) and I ventured out Wednesday afternoon to have lunch and Mr. Dix brought up an outstanding idea that I believe has a great opportunity to rejuvenate the downtown walking mall.  I said, Mr. Dix, you are onto something!  I'll get into the appraisal network so we can figure out the dimensions of those buildings.

The Old Taylor Hotel has the opportunity to become property of the City of Winchester through eminent domain.  The other buildings would have to be purchased outright from the individual owners.

This "Big Idea" would be to build the proposed arena on the walking mall that will draw citizens and out-of-town guests to our downtown.

Click on the following link to view the sideshow that was shared with the Planning Commission in a work session.

Downtown Winchester Arena Concept

Bridgeforth Field lighting issues has to take priority

City agency is working on new pitch for series

By Vic Bradshaw
The Winchester Star

Winchester — Brad Veach is working on a new pitch to bring a national youth baseball tournament to the city.

Veach, who directs the city Department of Parks and Recreation, is revamping his funding proposal for the 2011 Cal Ripken-Babe Ruth 10-Year-Old World Series.

His goal is to provide an acceptable alternative in case the department does not receive a $100,000 grant.

“Our goal is, we need to say we’re not going to need any new tax dollars,” Veach said Friday.

City Council President Jeff Buettner said Monday that he hopes the council can back the series.

But he said he cannot support spending much money on the event while other departments are facing spending cuts in the next budget.

“With the school budget we’re looking at, with [state funding] cuts to the police department, it’s not on my list of priorities,” Buettner said. “I don’t know how to fit it into this budget when we’ve got so many other pressing concerns .... If the number gets small enough, it’s something we should look at.”

Veach’s initial pitch at the council’s December work session called for the city government to spend up to $273,000 to attract the event — $158,000 for improvements to Yost Field, $75,000 for operating expenses, and $40,000 for the contract fee.

For the remaining part of the article, click on this link: 

http://winchesterstar.com/pages/view/pitch.html

No matter how you look at it ... Tax dollars = Tax dollars!

“Our goal is, we need to say we’re not going to need any new tax dollars,” Veach said Friday.

To avoid asking for new tax dollars, he hopes to be able to use parks and recreation reserve funds — money the department didn’t use in previous years — to cover some expenses.

City records indicate that the department under-spent its budget by $430,000 during the last three years. In the past, Veach said, the money has been used to buy playground and mowing equipment and cover unexpected repairs.

However, Buettner views the reserve funds as money to be used for emergencies or one-time capital projects. “To me,” he said, “this is neither of those.”

If anything, Bridgeforth Field has many, many dark spots in that outfield.

Catchers in the bullpen are catching in the dark basically.  Again, another safety issue because of insufficient lighting on a 32yr old facility.  Why would the WPRD put up that light pointing into the 3rd base bullpen years ago if there were not lighting issues?

The majority of those lights have been there for 32yrs except for the one pole on the 1st base side that fell down in 1998-1999.

Did not the lights get replaced on Yost Field 14 yrs ago when their was a major improvement as $40,000 was given to WPRD as a result of Rouss Park baseball field/land sale to Shenandoah University.

Unfortunately, the park reserve funds could be a situation now, where if did not use it, you will lose it.  Wonder if certain improvement could have been made over the last 3yrs with those surplus fund?

There is a real safety issue with the lighting at Bridgeorth, no doubt about it.  Bridgeforth has to take priority since the majority of those lights have been there for nearly 32yrs.

Winchester’s Baseball ‘funnel effect’

Open Forum

WB’s ‘funnel effect’
What occurs when league is all-star-centered? Baseball dies

In response to Todd McNemar’s letter, “Setting record straight on WB” (Your Views, Jan, 22), I have to comment even further and in more detail this time.

Please set the record even more straight, Mr. McNemar, as several attempts have been made to get answers to the following questions below since October 2009 and, most recently, as of Jan. 23, but Winchester Baseball officials and/or reps still remain silent because the perception is they do not want to open up Pandora's Box.

Just for clarification, are not all of the WB board members Frederick County residents now?

Now, for my questions:

* How many kids are playing in Winchester Baseball, ages 8 through 12?
* How many kids are Winchester City residents?
* How many are Frederick County residents, Clarke County residents, Warren County residents, Shenandoah County residents, and Hardy and Hampshire County residents?
* Are there not all-star teams practicing in the Armory during December, January, and February? And how can this be fair and equal if these all-stars are pre-selected before the season even starts?
* Are any kids added to these all-star teams after the regular season is completed?

In response to your statement about fields being utilized by Shenandoah University, Handley High School, and Parks & Rec programs that I assume are conflicting with Winchester Baseball: Shenandoah University finishes up their seasons about the first week of May. Handley baseball is normally finishing up during mid-May. This is all the more reason to have “summer” baseball for 12-and-unders as opposed to the early spring when it is not ideal, weather-wise, to be practicing. Practices, may I add, that may run until 10 p.m. on school nights.

Mr. McNemar, the motive is to get all of the facts out on the table for City Council to review so they can make an informed decision about city taxpayer dollars. Should the City of Winchester spend money on this World Series during these epic budget constraints we are facing? How can saying this be viewed as stirring the pot?

The tax base of Winchester has taken serious hits in recent years due to the fact that many new shopping centers located in Frederick County have opened up — in other words, not within the city limits.

So, yes, it would be nice for Frederick County to share the expenses for this 2011 World Series. Especially if the majority of the kids are from Frederick County.

Furthermore, the structure of WB is casting ill effects on Handley baseball, which only had 25 players come out last year, eight of them eighth-graders. Handley baseball is in serious jeopardy, but why? I have an opinion. The board, coaches, and parents of WB are recruiting the best players around to come play in attempts to assemble the best all-star team possible. Now, how are kids who reside in Winchester supposed to get better when WB is trying to pull the best kids from all the surrounding counties?

I agree 100 percent. WB should be very successful when pulling kids from a population area of more than 180,000 (and up to nearly 230,000 if Shenandoah County is in the equation).

Again, you are correct: I will question the operation of WB. Is this in the best interests of the masses, especially the kids who reside in the City of Winchester? The perception is that WB is basically an AAU baseball program hidden under the umbrella of Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth League Baseball.

But look at Frederick County Little League, split into North and South boundaries serving a total population of 73,898. Maybe this is why WB does not want to be part of Little League baseball, which has restrictive boundaries.

Basically, everyone needs to realize little Johnny is most likely not going to be the next major leaguer. With everyone starting out now in T-ball starting at age 4 and then having all those age-group all-star teams, I believe this system is burning kids out. Why are kids from 13 to 15 years old dropping out at a tremendous rate? Back in 1953, Winchester had four teams for the 13-14 age division with much less population. How many teams are in the 13-15 league now with a much larger area and population?

To close, this is like a funnel effect! Everyone is on top starting at age 4 and 5 and as each age is reached, the funnel begins to narrow and gets tighter until only a few make it through the system. The young kids realize they have not had an opportunity to be a kid and enjoy other things because this league is structured and geared for all-stars.

Maybe since this program is basically serving the county residents, should we not hurry up with the consolidation of Parks & Rec services, so we are in compliance?

Jeff Milburn is a resident of Winchester.