SPJ Responds: Local resident Brian Nelson approached the Winnemucca City Council at their last meeting (Feb. 7) with an idea for changing the use of the city’s recreational building from a weight room to a youth facility.

He made several suggestions.

The first is one of the rooms be used for meetings of existing youth groups – such as the Boy Scouts. He said many of the community’s youth groups do not have a regular meeting place and having a place to meet may increase participation in those existing clubs -- giving more kids something to do.

Nelson's second suggestion was the other room be used for activities such as pool, shuffle board or arcade games. He suggested a list of needed items be compiled and area businesses asked to provide what they could.

Additionally, he said programs could be put into place similar to the Boys & Girls Clubs and the YMCA.  The programs could include character building, education, health & fitness, the arts, etc. The building would not be a youth hang-out center.

Nelson asked that a planning committee be formed to carry the idea through – to include representatives from teen and youth organizations, business and community leaders, city administrative staff, social services, etc.

Basically, the youth center is Nelson’s vision. There isn’t an infrastructure in place for funding or personnel, so the center would have to be run by volunteers.

The rec building was designed for and formerly used as a youth center.

It was noted the weight room currently housed in the rec building is not used that much and few people would be displaced by changing the use. The change in usage would not affect the Recreation Department’s ability to use the building for their activities.