Supporters and opponents of allowing players in sixth to twelfth grades on the inline skating rink at the Potomac Community Center will have an opportunity to express their views at a public forum scheduled for May 28.
The Western Area Recreation Advisory Board, a group of volunteers appointed by the county executive, will hold the forum.
“We've offered to help the recreation department to gather information, provide an opportunity for the public to discuss what the experience has been and what if any changes in use the community would or wouldn't like to see,” said Peter Hauslohner, chair of the Western Area Recreation Board.
THE INLINE skating rink at Potomac Community is currently open to children in the sixth grade or younger, and hours are limited.
With the recent closure of the only other facility in the county for inline hockey leagues, some parents have petitioned the Department of Recreation to allow older players on the Potomac rink. While the citizens board of the Potomac Community Center supports such a move, some adjacent neighbors object, citing the noise, trash and other problems that could arise from older players.
HAUSLOHNER MAY GET to make good use of his years of experience as both a coach and a referee in running the forum.
“We have a fairly high tolerance for, and even love of, dissent,” he said. “Everyone has a point of view, and we want to require and ensure civility. The one merit we do have in this is that we have absolutely no stake … But we are trying to make sure government has as much information as possible to make its decisions.”