Can we please do something for our preteens and teenagers?

This isn't something new, but it's an ongoing issue that radiates from Calabasas to Newbury Park.

The issue is that there's nothing for preteens and teenagers to do in these cities.

If a youth is in organized sports, loves to shop on a daily basis or counts on the various teen centers around town, then it's wonderful. They're kept busy, and this isn't an issue for them.

However, for most of the preteens and teens, this isn't the case.

On a daily basis I come across educators, parents and kids who complain bitterly that there's nothing to do in our cities.

Parents don't want their kids traveling to Oxnard or Simi Valley to go miniature golfing, bowling, ice skating or to play arcade games.

What's wrong with our local cities? Why can't we build or put in a bowling alley, ice skating rink, miniature golf course or even a venue like Mountasia in Valencia?

Kids need places where they can relax and have fun, such as going to an ice cream parlor, playing arcade games or lazer tag or on bumper boats or go-carts, or a place to play miniature golf.

What are these cities afraid of? I'm sick and tired of reading about kids doing drugs or about the shootings or stabbings that are happening in our neighborhoods.

Bad things happen because there's nothing for our kids to do.

What happened to the hands-on kids' museum that was going to built? Not enough support from the community is what happened. The old Home Depot sits empty in Newbury Park--we could put something in there for the kids.

There's plenty of land off Lawrence Road for something to be built.

An ice cream parlor or something else could be built next to Kohl's in Newbury Park.

We must think of our kids and do something for them.

Instead we rebuild the mall; we put up another hotel; we build more retail shops.

What about the teenagers?
Eileen Harris
Newbury Park