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City Council unanimously approves old CCHS gym for use as teen center
An organization that has tried for more than six years to bring a teen center to Carbondale got one step closer to making its dream a reality Tuesday night.
The Carbondale City Council unanimously approved donating a small gym located on the former campus of Carbondale Community High School to the group for use as a teen center.
Councilwoman Maggie Flanagan, who had previously served as the chair of the group's board of directors, said she is relieved and delighted that the teen center is finally coming to fruition. She said she credits its recent progress to the work and patience of the group's volunteers since 1997.
"A number of people had the foresight to make this happen," Flanagan said. "It's a wonderful thing that the volunteers of this community stepped forward. It always takes longer than you expect. I look forward to the day the center opens its doors."
Courtland Munroe, chairman of the organization, said the teen center will be "more than just a basketball court." He said the center plans to develop programs in other sports, physical fitness, the arts, education and character development.
Flanagan said the center would also include a study room with computers and a lounge room with a snack bar. She said the center is also open to having social events such as dances.
Munroe said Carbondale Community Teen Center Inc. is also trying to become an affiliate of the Boys & Girls Club of America. He said the organization will uphold the same values and attempt to offer the same programs as the Boys & Girls Club.
"It's a highly regarded national program that has rigorous standards," Munroe said. "And we're ready to take them on."
Munroe said he is not attempting to take the place of any other Carbondale youth programs and invited other groups to participate in the teen center's renovation.
In order for the teen center to get off the ground, Munroe said help from the community is needed. He said the group is seeking financial support, in-kind gifts and volunteer workers to refurbish the gym.
Mayor Brad Cole said due to state law, the City Council cannot donate the property yet to the teen center. He said that would be accomplished at the Aug. 12 council meeting.
Cole also said he found out Tuesday that progress has been made with the local push to save the Varsity Theater.
"Today, I have been in contact with interested buyers," Cole said. "Hopefully, if they are legitimate prospects, something will come about in the very near future."
The Springfield-based theater chain Kerasotes Theaters, which owns the Varsity Theater, closed the theater in May to open a new ShowPlace 8 on the east end of the University Mall. The Varsity had been open 63 years on South Illinois Avenue.
Cole also arranged to have representatives from Mediacom, the company that provides cable TV and Internet service to Carbondale, attend the meeting to discuss problems with the company's service. Mediacom has provided the city with cable TV service since July 2001.
The cable company had previously attended the council's Dec. 12 meeting, where representatives said broadband Internet service would be available across Carbondale within 90 days. After questioning from Councilman Steven Haynes, Mediacom representative Randy Hollis said citywide Internet service had finally been completed within the past 45 days.
Cole said he was recently irritated by a Mediacom telephone operator when he called the company Sunday afternoon to complain that he was receiving poor service on 14 of the 34 channels he gets from the company.
Cole said he requested that a Mediacom technician visit his home Sunday to investigate the problem. He said the operator told him technicians have never been available on Sundays, and that they never will be. Hollis had said at Tuesday's meeting that technicians were available seven days a week.
Cole said the operator said the company could have a technician at his home between 8 a.m. and noon or 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday. Cole said he was further irritated when he asked the operator if someone could be at his home between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday.
"He told me I was being childish," Cole said. "If this is the type of service that I get, what about the rest of the citizens of Carbondale? When I'm treated the way I was treated, I don't appreciate it."
Cole said he has received numerous phone calls at his home as early as 7 a.m. from local citizens complaining about their cable service. He said some of the calls have been from people who do not live in Carbondale.
"I get phone calls from people who live in Makanda," Cole said. "They complain about their cable to me because they want someone to help. We have some serious issues with something that affects a great deal of us."
Cole told Mediacom's representatives that he had not voted for the company's current contract with Carbondale in 2001, because he thought it would bring higher costs and less service. The mayor told Hollis that he stands by his vote because customers are paying too much for the company's fees.
Hollis apologized to Cole for the way he was treated during his phone call to Mediacom's Virtual Call Center and assured that the employee will be appropriately disciplined.
Mediacom representatives said they would attend another Council meeting this year to give an update of the company's services.
