Sauk Center R Us

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Gordon Brumm
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 9:13 pm

Sauk Center R Us

Post by Gordon Brumm »

Sauk Center is the home town of Sinclair Lewis, who on his way to a Nobel Prize satirized the town in his novel MAIN STREET. Lewis mocked its hopeless provincialism, narrow-mindedness, superficiality and fatuous boosterism.
Sauk Center came to mind the other day as I drove into Lakewood driving north on Warren Road. There I saw a sign that said “Welcome to Lakewood, Home of the Rangers.â€Â￾ On the sign was the Lakewood Ranger athletic logo, along with a temporary sign announcing the victorious season of one of the soccer teams.
Right across the street was Winterhurst, one of Lakewood’s treasures. But it was not mentioned on the sign, nor was the Beck Center, nor our nationally-recognized library nor the Arts Festival nor the skateboard park nor the dog park, nor any of the other things that make Lakewood shine as a city
How pathetic that a city feels it has to define itself, and its accomplishments, by enumerating the triumphs (such as they are) of its high school athletic teams!
(Incidentally, while Googling for information on Lewis’s MAIN STREET, I chanced upon the following quotation, presumably by one of the characters in the novel, and meant to refer to Sauk Center: “The people in this city are very sports-minded, and the way one season overlaps another it doesn’t leave much time for reading.â€Â￾)
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against athletics. In my prime I was sometimes called “crazylegs,â€Â￾ and in certain circles I am known for breaking up a no-hitter by getting hit on the head. But athletics are for amusement, and in some cases for therapy. Athletics cannot – or should not – constitute the city’s public persona, and trying to put the city’s best foot forward in the form of its athletics is just pitiful. We can do a lot better than that.
Todd Shapiro
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 3:22 pm

Post by Todd Shapiro »

Gordon,
How unfortunate is it that you view the celebration of athletic exploits and accomplishments of student-athletes in our community “patheticâ€Â￾ and “pitifulâ€Â￾?
You question why Winterhurst or the Beck Center are not prominently displayed on signs welcoming motorists to our city? While I agree that both of these fine institutions are civic jewels that should be treasured, please don’t take away from our recognition of our student-athletes. I have friends who take music lessons at the Beck Center, BUT they are not Lakewood residents. While we can rightly feel a sense of pride in the figure skaters that have risen to world renown and Olympic glory after training at Winterhurst, they are usually listed by their hometowns of Broadview Heights and Sheffield Village again NOT Lakewood.
You say that a city should not place its best foot forward in the form but athletics but ask why we don’t recognize the skateboard park on signs to the city. IS a skateboard park not just another athletic venue? I am often at Lakewood Park playing tennis or hanging out with my friends and what I see going on in the skate park in just another form of sport. Unless the skate park is being used for Kabuki theater or violin recitals when I am not looking it is hypocritical of you to imply that the residents who worked together to build a skate park should be honored and the residents who worked together to win a district championship on the soccer should not be honored.
What makes a city shine is not its dog parks or its attractions but instead its sense of community. According to the article that Mike Dineen wrote is Issue 10 of the Observer the boys soccer team that recently won the District Championship features a roster that comprised young men from six nations on four continents who put racial, religious, and linguistic differences aside to work towards a common goal. PLEASE tell me how celebrating a dog park is a better use of civic capital? When was the last time that the skate park or Winterhurst hosted such a diverse gathering?
I guess you are arguing that we should deemphasize sports in favor of reading and patronizing the arts. However, it better to work in the world we live in than to try to change the world to fit our desires. There is a reason why 110 million people watch the Super Bowl and 10 million watch the Tony Awards. The majority of Americans have decided which leisure activities are important to them. I frequently visit the Lakewood Library and attempt to read a book a week, BUT if we want to talk about boosterism or the persona of a city sports are just as important. I had the pleasure of attending numerous high school football and basketball games where a high percentage of the people in a community squeeze into a small gym or onto rickety wooden bleachers to support their hometown heroes. Occasions like these build community and force neighbors to come out of their homes and actually socialize with one another. Other than the Holy Bible I haven’t seen too many books that have that kind of power.
If we all worked as hard and selflessly as student-athletes do and placed the goals of the group above our personal priorities Lakewood, the United States and the world would all be better places to live.

Todd Shapiro
Stan Austin
Contributor
Posts: 2465
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:02 pm
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Post by Stan Austin »

Gordon and Todd--

I detect a common theme in both of your posts. That theme is that there are many activities and endeavors in Lakewood of which we are all proud.

It would seem that the problem is that the entrance signs are too small to proudly display all these activities and venues.

I think both of you were trying to say "add my favorite"---not ignore the other person's favorite.

So, let's just get a REAL BIG sign!!!!

Stan Austin
dl meckes
Posts: 1475
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: Lakewood

Post by dl meckes »

Gordon suggests that focusing narrowly on sports teams gives Lakewood the look of "hopeless provincialism, narrow-mindedness, superficiality and fatuous boosterism" as if sporting accomplishments are the only good things Lakewood has to offer, and goes on to mention other assets.

I have no problem honoring our successful teams with signs (and "Crazylegs" agrees) and I would also like to see some balance, like signage that reads "Welcome to Lakewood, home of (x number of) National Merit Scholars."

Can you also imagine a sign that said, "Welcome to Lakewood, home of (x number of) High School Band Members"? "Welcome to Lakewood, home of the Lakewood Project"?

Signage for the amenities in Lakewood like the Beck Center Libraries, parks or Winterhurst is invisible or non-existent. Same with signs for food & gas. Would I like to see a sign with a silhouette of a person on a skateboard? Yes I would. (So would Gordon.)

Perhaps the Main Street Project will have some ideas about such things with public input.

Todd brings up an incredibly fantastic idea in jest regarding Kabuki theater or violin recitals in the skate park, but honestly - why not? There was opera (and poetry readings) in an alley at the Ingenuity Fest last summer and it was wonderful!
“One of they key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace. Good people don’t go into government.”- 45
Todd Shapiro
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 3:22 pm

Post by Todd Shapiro »

I think it would be a fantastic idea to place signage honoring National Merit Semi-finalist and other Lakewood students or residents that have achieved noteworthy accomplishments. I think that is my greater point we should recognize success and achievement and not just amenities.

Only 16 schools in Ohio won Division I district soccer championships, only a handful of students annually attain National Merit scholarship. I feel it is ridiculous to place a sign at the gateway to our city recognizing a recreational facility. While many Lakewood residents, as well as residents of neighboring communities use Winterhurst everyday the only accomplishment in this is that Lakewood residents agree to be taxed for the upkeep of the facility.

As far as signage directing travelers to food, gas, and other services I think that would be a great idea although I feel it is a different issue than the one Gordon originally raised.

By the way dl if you are successful in organizing a Kabuki theater at the skate park I’ll buy the first ticket.
8)
dl meckes
Posts: 1475
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:29 pm
Location: Lakewood

Post by dl meckes »

Todd-

How are visitors/commuters to know about our amenities if we don't have any signs?



.
“One of they key problems today is that politics is such a disgrace. Good people don’t go into government.”- 45
Mark Schroeder
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:16 pm
Location: Lakewood, Ohio

Post by Mark Schroeder »

Folks--

Your discussion shows me the power of the Observation Deck. One man's authentic response to something in his environment draws an impassioned response from a differing quarter.

Rather than the argument descending into polarity, a new reality is sought.

Thanks for the insightful comments. I resonate with Todd's view that student athletics draw people together out of their cocoons. This is creates an ad hoc third place in the athletic venue which weaves the fabric of community.

I think the difference between Lakewood and Sauk City is that we appear to be willing to look in the mirror. We are willing to see the scars along with the beauty. Sometimes we fix on the scars a bit too much.

What I see is a beautiful lady about to enter a renaissance so powerful she will draw suitors from around the nation, perhaps the world.

What reality will Lakewood create for herself? That is up to each and every informed citizen to decide. Then share your vision. The future is up to all of us.
Mark Schroeder

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."--Goethe
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