Coplay First Coplay Last & Everything in Between: COPLAY BORO - CURFEW, OR NOT TO CURFEW !!! THAT WAS THE QUESTION.

SAYLOR CEMENT KILNS

COPLAY, PA 18037

BACK IN EARLY 2015, IT WAS REPORTED THAT CRIME WAS DOWN IN THE BOROUGH OF COPLAY.

THEN

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015, A FRONT PAGE STORY IN THE MORNING CALL, ON THE LAST DAY OF THE COMMUNITY DAYS FESTIVAL, IT WAS REPORTED THAT COPLAY WAS NOW HAVING A PROBLEM AND THAT A CURFEW SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. AS YOU MAY, OR MAY NOT BE AWARE OF, COPLAY COUNCIL ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND A CURFEW WAS ENACTED BY THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, AS I RECALL. MY FIRST REACTION TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WAS, ANYONE NOT LIVING IN COPLAY WOULD SHY AWAY OF VISITING OR CONSIDER RELOCATING TO COPLAY.

COPLAY MAYOR AT THAT TIME WAS JOSEPH BUNDRA AND HE WAS ADAMANT IN NOT HAVING A CURFEW. I QUOTE HIM TO ME PERSONALLY, "KIDS WILL BE KIDS". I AGREE WITH HIM 100%. WHY PUNISH MANY FOR THE POSSIBLE ACTS OF A FEW?

IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THAT BOROUGH COUNCIL MISSED THE POINT, OR BETTER YET, THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM, IF THERE WAS ONE. WHAT DO THE YOUNG FOLKS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM TO PASS THE TIME OR A PLACE TO SOCIALIZE AND ASSOCIATE WITH THEIR AGE GROUP?

CURRENTLY, ONLY COPLAY SPORTS PROVIDES SOME OUTLET FOR THE YOUTH BY PROVIDING YEAR ROUND ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL, AND I BELIEVE, CHEERLEADING BY A GROUP. BUT, EVEN WITH THIS, THERE IS STILL A HUGE ACTIVITY GAP FOR OLDER TEEN AGE YOUTH.

TO REFLECT BACK TO THE "GOOD OLD DAYS" WHEN, AFTER BEING FOUNDED BY GEORGE (SQUIRE ) MILLER), COPLAY SPORTS PROVIDED A PROGRAM FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS, WHICH HAS BEEN EXPANDED CONSIDERABLY AS ATTESTED TO BY THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT. RECREATION & WELFARE ASSN., WHICH WAS ALSO CREATED BACK IN 1955 THRU THE INITIATIVE OF GEORGE (SQUIRE) MILLER AND OTHERS, BECAME PART OF THE VOLUNTEER PICTURE AND INITIATED A VERY COMPLETE BIKE RODEO, ALSO STARTED A SUMMER DANCE PROGRAM, ON THE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GROUNDS. 10 DANCES WERE HELD WITH A ONE WEEK BREAK IN BETWEEN. ROBERT "BOB' HAUKE, Sr. WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF COPLAY REC & WELFARE. IN DUE TIME, INDOOR "HOPS" WERE STARTED AND WERE HELD AT THE OLD COPLAY FIRE CO. NO. 1 SOCIAL HALL. THE LATE MR. AND MRS. GEORGE TRIVELY, Sr AND THE LATE MR. AND MRS. STERLING MILLER WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE INITIATIVE OF 2 NEW YEARS EVE DANCE SOCIALS HELD IN THIS FACILITY. LATER, COPLAY SPORTS & COPLAY REC & WELFARE COMBINED EFFORTS AND OPENED A YOUTH CENTER AT THE COPLAY AMERICAN CLUB BLDG ON 3RD ST.(FACILITIES USE WAS FREE OF CHARGE HERE, AS WELL AS, AT THE FIRE CO), THERE WERE 2 ROOMS AVAILABLE - THE SMALLER ROOM CONTAINED A PING PONG TABLE AND A REGULATION POOL TABLE (IT WAS DONATED BY MY DAD, RUSSELL DICKMAN, WHO WAS THE PROPRIETOR OF A POOL PARLOR IN SUMMIT HILL).

LATER, FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THERE WAS A POOL TABLE PLACED IN A ROOM IN THE CURRENT BOROUGH HALL FOR THE YOUTH. THAT BECAME EXTINCT WHEN SOME RENOVATIONS WERE MADE BY INSTALLING THE NEW REST ROOMS AND EXPANDING THE BOROUGH OFFICE FACILITY. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE YOUNG FOLK HAD A PLACE TO HANG OUT AT A BUSINESS CONDUCTED BY MR. FRANKENFIELD. MILANDER'S MARKET IS NOW AT THAT LOCATION. ALSO, AT THE FOOT OF S. 12TH ST. ON TAPLER DRIVE, A SODL FAMILY HAD A PLACE WHERE SOME OF THE YOUNGSTERS WOULD GATHER. COPLAY ALSO HAD THE RITZ MOVIE THEATER , WHICH WE ALSO ENJOYED UNTIL ITS' DEMISE. TWO OTHER VENUES THAT WERE AVAILABLE, AND HEAVILY USED, WERE THE WINTER ICE SKATING RINK AND THE OUTDOOR BASKETBALL COURT AT THE LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. TANISER'S INDOOR ROLLER SKATING RINK WAS ALSO A COPLAY STAPLE IN THE EARLIER DAYS.

WHAT I AM TRYING TO BRING TO THE FOREFRONT IS THE FACT THAT OUR COMMUNITY DOES NOT PROVIDE A PLACE, PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, WHERE OUR TEENAGERS CAN CONGREGATE AND SOCIALIZE. ENACTING A CURFEW ORDINANCE IN COPLAY IS NOT THE ANSWER, AGAIN, IN MY OPINION. WHAT IS THE ANSWER? I WISH I KNEW.

DO ANY OF YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS? DO YOU HAVE A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO BE TAKEN UNDER CONSIDERATION BY COPLAY BOROUGH? I PERSONALLY BELIEVE WE ARE DOING A DISSERVICE TO THE YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. PLEASE FORWARD ANY SUGGESTIONS TO OUR CURRENT MAYOR AND COUNCIL AT 98 S. 4th ST, COPLAY, PA 18037

GOD BLESS,

FRANK AND ANN DICKMAN