Mar 11, 2016 7 min read

…The countdown to spring continues (just 9 days away!) and at the time of writing this column, it already feels like ol’ Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of a short winter is mercifully going to be accurate. (For the record, I just knocked on some wood so as not to jinx us. So if a sudden and unexpected “Snowmageddon” blasts us this weekend, then I will take the blame.)

The warmer weather has enabled my wife and me to take our three-year-old outside to play, and after a seemingly unending bout of Cabin Fever, he is very, very happy about being able to enjoy the outdoors and not being cooped up inside all the time.

(His parents are ecstatic about it too. If I am forced to stay indoors and watch one more episode of “Paw Patrol,” I just might snap like a rubber band.)

But despite experiencing the happy-happy-joy-joy feelings of getting outside and enjoying the nice weather, something has been bugging me the last few days … and no, its not the fact that I am in urgent need of shedding quite a few winter pounds before I can even think about putting on a pair of shorts. I’ve been bothered ever since my wife made the observation that with the spring-like weather we could finally take our son to places to play, because during the late fall, winter and early spring there is really no place locally for pre-schoolers to play.

And then she said, “You know, it’s a shame that for six months out of the year, if you’re a parent and you want to have a fun day with your kid, you have to drive at least 30 to 60 minutes in any direction from Greene County. Because there’s nothing here.”

I’ve been thinking about that now for a few weeks, and the more research I come up with, the more I realize she’s absolutely right. And it’s not just a shame, it’s downright absurd.

I found a website, www.activitytree.com, where you type in a zip code and it lists and details all of the fun places that kids and families can enjoy, within a 100-mile radius. When I typed in 15370, I was pleased to see that it was giving me a five-page list with 109 different fun places.

My happiness was short-lived, however, when I started to examine the list. Turns out, not only are there apparently no indoor fun facilities in Greene County, there are none in Fayette County and only one in Washington County. According to the website, the closest place is Planet Bounce in Canonsburg (32.2 miles from Waynesburg), and then Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum in Wheeling, West Virginia (27 miles away), and then Valley Worlds of Fun in Fairmont, West Virginia (29.8 miles away). Fairmont is also home to Volcano Island Indoor Water Park Resort (30.6 miles). There’s a Chuck E. Cheese in Bridgeville (31.5 miles), Flight Trampoline Park in Bridgeville (42.1 miles), Toonseum in Pittsburgh (38.1 miles) and Jump!Zone in Allison Park (46.4 miles).

And although the website lists numerous other family fun facilities, the rest of them are either outdoor sites (and are not open until late spring or later) or they are 60 miles or more away. So, what I mentioned above is pretty much what’s available as far as indoor family fun places are concerned withing a reasonable drive from Greene County, during the the late fall through early spring seasons.

And of those places that are available, they can be quite costly, especially for families with several children. (I know that last time we took Bryson to Chuck E. Cheese, we easily dropped $60 between food and tokens.)

That is pathetic. Why aren’t there any indoor facilities within a reasonable driving distance that could be enjoyed by kids and families, that wouldn’t have to break the bank? It is possible to do this … Planet Bounce only cost $10 per kid with no cover charge for adults, and the food prices were very reasonable. (My kid had a blast for several hours there, and we maybe spent a total of 20 bucks all day.)

How difficult would it be for someone or some company to rent a building, fill it up with some bouncy slides or a mini-golf course or even a simple play area, and charge a cheap price? I know there are costs involved (such as insurance, payroll and rent), but many other places are doing this far, far away from here, so why couldn’t it be done here? Aren’t there grants available for this type of initiative? Aren’t there companies, corporations or foundations that could help with the costs?

When it comes to offering affordable indoor entertainment for kids during those long cold months when pools, parks and playgrounds are closed, why do kids in our tri-county area have to get the shaft?

Now before I continue, I know that there are fun outdoor events offered throughout the fall, winter and early spring in Greene County that kids can enjoy. But I’m not talking about events held sporadically. This area badly needs fun indoor facilities that are open year-round, especially during those cold days, weeks and months when there is simply nothing else to do.

I would love to hear from others about their thoughts on this. If you have an opinion, or any suggestions on what could be offered in the area, or information about fun family indoor facilities nearby that I don’t know about, please let me know…

I would love to hear from others about their thoughts on this. If you have an opinion on what could be offered in the area or information about fun family facilities nearby, please let me know…

…Before I wrap this column up, I want to address an issue regarding the Messenger that has recently popped up again. Someone recently approached me and asked, “How come your paper doesn’t publish many letters to the editor?” And the answer was simple: We don’t run them very often because we don’t get them very often.

And folks, that is a shame, because we provide a good forum for people to share their opinions regarding a wide variety of topics. We encourage our readers to write and submit letters to the editor, and we love to read what local folks have to say. We applaud those folks to take the time to express their thoughts and feelings and wish to share them with the public.

We have a few specific guidelines: We prefer that the letters be typed, but if you cannot type us your letter, please write legibly (no cursive writing…and no cursing). We also require that the letters contain the full name of the author and the town where they are from. And, it would be tremendously helpful to include a phone number so we can contact you if we have any questions regarding the content of your letter.

It is absolutely essential that all information submitted in letters to the editor are factual and accurate, and not libelous.

We encourage readers to continue sending us your opinions that pertain to Greene County. Send letters to us via electronic mail or by regular mail, or they can be dropped off at the office at 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.

For more information, see the information box at the bottom of this page. Do not hesitate to call us at 724-852-2251with questions.