To the editor:

Interesting things are set to happen in Lawrence with the Arts Center and the Parks and Recreation Department, even during the recession/depression.

The Lawrence Arts Center will, hopefully, warm up under the leadership of the next director. They may chose to use the assets they have to bring more teens and families in with film festivals in the theater, fashion shows, regular fringe festivals, a Friday night “happy hour” or possibly an art from the recycled materials center in the basement.

The theater is an excellent community space that seems underutilized and unnecessarily protected. With someone focusing on programming and ticket sales, the arts center could be an important regional performing arts presenter, instead of just a visual arts and dance haven.

The Parks and Recreation Department is also poised for an exciting new project. On the Web site a few years ago, they had renderings for a complex at Clinton Lake near the golf course. It included a community gathering hall, an outdoor ice-skating rink and a splash park. Instead of starting from scratch with a new building plan, why don’t they get started on realizing the plans they already have?

If the sales tax is to be used only for new construction, I suggest they start small and slowly build what they have on the board. Eventually, the city will emerge from this crisis a stronger and still vibrant community.