To the editor:
With so much discussion today amid the decision of the Habersham County Governing body to install pickleball courts and the community outcry it prompted, I would be remiss if I did not bring to light the blatant disregard for the youth of Habersham County.
I am a father of two young children ages 11 and 7 who participate in Habersham County youth football, baseball, and cheerleading. My son (11) is an active player with one of the “Travel Baseball’ teams that are based here, he also plays youth football while my daughter cheers. Our team spent this past weekend at Central Park in Cumming and had great success in our five-game tournament. The facilities were incredible, concessions booming 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Park staff were pleasant and welcoming, and by the end of the weekend, I would estimate that the host organization and the taxpayers of Forsyth County netted quite a profit. With more than 30 teams competing, an entry fee of $395 per team along with a $150 “gate fee” an average of 2,000 spectators of whom 50 percent spent a minimum of $10 in concessions daily … easy math.
Habersham County is perfectly positioned to host these type events every weekend from March to November, becoming a revenue center not only for youth athletics but also stimulating our local economy. This will require us to make capital improvements to our facilities that are in a state of disrepair, employ staff that take pride in their county and facilities and are driven to see our youth succeed. I offer with strong conviction that if we provide a platform for success. Success is attainable.
We emulate a community that emphasizes athletics but are unwilling to do what is required to succeed. So as parents we make the investments and sacrifices that force us to stimulate the economy of other little towns along the way.
I want to spend my money here, and I want others to as well. Allow this letter to invoke this thought – will our children raise their family in Habersham County, or will they take them and their tax dollars to a county that cares?
Tony Lacey
Cornelia