Our View

Time is now to make
decision on PAL home

Lakewood adults who care about the town’s young people should act now to help secure the future of the town’s youth by providing a facility for the Lakewood Police Athletic League.

According to a story in today’s Tri-Town News, the idea for such a facility has been on the table for several years. A sign on a vacant Cedar Bridge Avenue lot that states, "Proposed site of Lake-wood Police Athletic League" attests to the fact that providing a home for the PAL has been considered.

So what’s the holdup? It looks like a combination of politics and personalities. If that is the case, it’s a shame.

Everyone, it seems, wants the best for Lakewood’s children, to give the youngsters a place to go and things to do. At present, the PAL provides outings for the youths, and that’s fine as far as it goes. With a home for the PAL to call its own, however, even more can be done. An opportunity exists now to make progress.

Ralph Zucker, president of Somerset Development Corp., Lakewood, said he would help the PAL construct a building. He said he would be willing "to spearhead an effort to shoulder some of the responsibility (for building the facility)." PAL President Arthur Lanfrank said he is open to discussing that offer.

The Township Committee has provided the land, but it won’t be available forever. With people apparently willing to do the right thing, the time to act is now. A meeting of all interested parties should be set up as soon as possible to discuss a project that could have long-lasting benefits for a very important constituency — Lakewood’s children.