InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "hahaha...bless your soul"

Jonathan Reznick (_reznick) wrote,
@ 2014-07-28 21:30:00

Greetings and salutations, lovely people of Lakewood Shores. It is I, your resident Reznick, here to remind you that the D&B Youth Center will have it's grand opening event this coming Friday, August the 1st!

We have ramps, both indoor and outdoor, for biking and skateboarding and rollerblading and whatever else you can come up with that has wheels. We have an indoor laser tag arena and an outdoor paintball arena. We even have a snack bar with tons of tasty treats. And this Friday, as part of our grand opening, we will have LIVE entertainment on the outdoor stage to kick things off! (Weather permitting) It's going to be crazy!

Remember, no drugs, no alcohol, no bullying. And if you don't have money to pay your way in, bring a donation of any non-perishable item and admission is free! Donations will be sent to local food banks and families in need.

D&B will open promptly at noon with the live music starting at 4pm and continuing until we shut the place down! (Which will happen at 10pm)

So be sure and come out! Everyone's invited. Bring the neighbors, bring the kids, bring your neighbor's kids, but please don't bring the pets. (They might bite.)

As always, we are looking for talented local musicians to play on either of our stages on the weekends and we've still got several part-time positions available for any of you kids out there looking to earn a buck. Just call 555-DUDE to speak to our friendly management staff! (Which consists of me and one other guy.)

We'll be open all Summer long, Monday-Saturday, from noon until 10pm.

Peace!

(Post a new comment)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 05:29 pm UTC (link)
	I suppose I am a bit old for a youth center, but I'd love to do some volunteer work with the kids in the afternoons. I've got two younger brothers, so I get to see sort of firsthand what the teens today are dealing with. ~~Not to mention my own personal issues that make me more understanding...~~ (Reply to this) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 07:02 pm UTC (link)
	Nah. You're never too old to be a kid! I'm one of the biggest kids I know and I'm like... Over 30. lol. If you wanna come by and hang out, you're more than welcome to. Sometimes kids just need a place to go and a cool adult they can talk to. If you've got younger brothers, you probably know all about that. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 07:07 pm UTC (link)
	That much I do know. I still run pouting to my older brothers sometimes when something doesn't go my way. And I'm still young enough to be a cool adult I think? Just 21 now. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

_reznick
2014-07-29 07:18 pm UTC (link)

Well, as long as you don't let them talk you into buying them booze, you're more than welcome to come by any time.

I grew up here. A town this small, sometimes the only thing there is to do for kids that age is get into trouble. I'm kind of hoping having a place to go where they can hang out and have fun will maybe reign that in a little. I know that I probably would have hung out here when I was that age if this place had existed then. But it didn't so... We did other stuff instead.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 07:24 pm UTC (link)
	My uncle works at the school. I wouldn't do anything to mess that up, it would reflect badly on him. I grew up in New Orleans. Even in big cities, there's a lot of trouble to be had for the kids that want to find it. It's nice to see someone looking out for them up here, though... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

_reznick
2014-07-29 07:32 pm UTC (link)

You know, people always say that, and they're right, of course. There are things to get into no matter where you go. And there is a lot of that that goes on in big cities too. But proportionately speaking, it's usually a lot worse in small towns.

Kids ruin their lives before they even get a chance to live them. If I can keep that from happening, even if it's just a couple of kids, then I will have accomplished something.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 07:36 pm UTC (link)
	It's a proportional thing, yes. In bigger cities there are a lot more sources for help before a kid gets that far, I think. It's just that some kids are unwilling to seek it, or see that there's a problem. I think just opening a place like this is going to help a lot of kids here. I mean, sometimes people need a place to go that's not home... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

_reznick
2014-07-29 07:47 pm UTC (link)

That's true. My parents were great and all, but they were old. I mean like... really old. They were both already in their forties when I was born. So they couldn't relate. They didn't understand the things that I was going through or dealing with day to day. That made it hard to talk to them about stuff.

I think maybe if there had been some place that I could go where I felt safe and I could have fun and maybe talk to other people who knew what kind of shit was going down, I wouldn't have ended up such a fucking mess.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 08:04 pm UTC (link)
	Sometimes a kid has all the love and happiness in the world and they still get all fucked up. Not everyone can be saved before they screw up, though hopefully something like this can bring back some of the lost ones. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 08:07 pm UTC (link)
	It's true. Sometimes having love and happiness does more harm than good, I think. If my parents had maybe been a little less sunshine and roses, they may have seen the things that they needed to see in order to actually help. But yeah, that's what I'm looking to do. Give something back, yeah? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 08:09 pm UTC (link)
	It's an amazing goal. Kind of why I want to help out some. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 08:13 pm UTC (link)
	Eventually I'd like to open up the place. Like the part inside with the stage? Let people come in and use it how they need to when the center isn't open. Like a community center kind of. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-29 08:15 pm UTC (link)
	If you're interested in doing some sort of classes for the younger kids, I can do gymnastics instruction assuming my coach gives me the free time... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 05:20 pm UTC (link)
	That's the kind of thing that I'm talking about! Only I don't really want to put more on my manager than is already on him, and I don't know that I could afford to hire people to do that sort of thing, so it would be more like... If someone else wanted to organize that type of thing, I'd be willing to lend the space to do it in free of charge. Make sense? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 05:24 pm UTC (link)
	I'm not asking you to hire me to do it. I am offering to do it free of charge, entirely. Look up Jacqueline London, I am pretty sure my name's still out there on Google, and honestly recently since I am sure coach has informed people that I'm heading for a comeback... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

_reznick
2014-07-30 05:30 pm UTC (link)

I know. What I'm saying is that I can lend the space to someone else who wants to manage and organize it, but I can't really afford to provide additional staffing for those events so it would be up to whoever was organizing it to take care of that. The center would just be a venue.

So, basically, if you were interested, you'd need to work out the details and just talk to me or the manager about the times when you'd need the space.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 05:41 pm UTC (link)
	I've got equipment, and a really good coach to help me lead classes. Maybe Friday evenings? She usually gives me Saturdays off if I work hard... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 07:55 pm UTC (link)
	That'd be cool. Friday evenings, though... I dunno. That's probably going to be one of our busiest times with the older kids. And we'll most likely be using that space for bands to play on the weekend nights. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 08:06 pm UTC (link)
	Sunday afternoons maybe? I can come in with my brothers and do some pick-up. Maybe have one of them do a dance class.... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 08:11 pm UTC (link)
	Sundays would be great. We're not even open on Sundays so... Anybody that needs the space on those days is more than welcome to it! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 08:14 pm UTC (link)
	Sundays it is then! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 08:16 pm UTC (link)
	Okay! When you get everything all sorted, just give me a call and let me know! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 08:19 pm UTC (link)
	I'll be talking to my coach 4am tommorrow (utter joy, right?) so I will ask her to help me get things set. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 08:34 pm UTC (link)
	Ha! Only time I see 4am is when I haven't been to bed yet. Anyways, like I said, just keep me posted. And hopefully I will see you and maybe some of your brothers here opening night! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 08:36 pm UTC (link)
	One of the perils of being really good at some crazy sport. I will! And you most likely will, I'll try to drag the youngest and his best friend, give them something to do. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 08:54 pm UTC (link)
	I was really good at a crazy sport once too. Fortunately it was a sport in which we are nearly all night owls so most of the events took place in the evening hours. lol (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 08:56 pm UTC (link)
	Can I just say that that's unfair? I'd like to lodge a complaint! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 09:08 pm UTC (link)
	Not my fault! Should have been a skateboarder instead of a gymnast. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 09:23 pm UTC (link)
	Maybe so... But I've survived! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-30 10:32 pm UTC (link)
	Me too! Narrowly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	jax_london 2014-07-30 10:35 pm UTC (link)
	Strangely enough, I can say the same... (Reply to this) (Parent)

	dame_du_lac 2014-07-29 07:08 pm UTC (link)
	I'm sort of new here so I don't know the area well. Where is this, if I'm leaving from the salon? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 07:21 pm UTC (link)
	From the salon. Okay. Let me think. So if you go up to the end of the street there, then take a right like you're going to go to Rockway Heights, but instead of turning in there, you keep driving on that road until you're outside of Lakewood Shores, it's about half a mile outside of the city limits on the left. Can't miss it. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	dame_du_lac 2014-07-29 07:25 pm UTC (link)
	So it's a bit of a walk but it can be walked? Awesome. I'll be there. It might be nice to meet some people before school starts so I don't go in as just the new girl... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 07:33 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, a little. I'd bike it if I were you. If you have a bike and know how to ride one, that is. Or skate it. And yeah, sure, come by! Bring the family too, if you want. I know the place is billed as a "Youth Center" but anybody can come, especially to the grand opening. The more people, the better! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	dame_du_lac 2014-07-29 07:46 pm UTC (link)
	I'll see if my mom and older sibs will tag along with me. I'm sure at least my mom will be happy I'm not sitting at home on the internet all day... (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	_reznick 2014-07-29 08:05 pm UTC (link)
	Cool. I look forward to meeting you there! (Reply to this) (Parent)