Once again our city has found a way to run off a good thing.
The El Paso Border Youth Athletic Association (EPBYA) is an established non-profit organization that has been creating educational and developmental opportunities for children through athletics for a number of years.
They have been trying to negotiate with the city to locate some of their programs at Cohen stadium for years–back to the time of our former city manager.
The group is not asking for handouts. They are willing to pay the bills.
The Cohen stadium plan included setting up a national youth world series baseball facility that would have brought talent from all over the country to play at Cohen stadium.
After years of trying to work with the city EPBYA has decided to move on. They are now working with our county government to use improve Gallegos park in Canutillo.
Take a few moments to examine the association’s web page. Their program called “The Base” is a 14,000 square foot indoor facility of batting cages and pitching tunnels right here in El Paso. The facility does not cost the taxpayers a dime.
I guess the city thinks that they only have room for tax payer supported, for profit, sports.
We deserve better
Brutus
Maybe they think that by ignoring the existence of Cohen Stadium, it will just go away? Let’s face it. It IS an embarrassment. It HAS to be. If a visitor were to see that perfectly good facility, with lots of convenient parking immediately adjacent to it, with a larger capacity for attendees, and then compare it to the squeezed-in, tiny ball park downtown, wouldn’t they ask questions? And, wouldn’t they receive inadequate responses to those questions? Responses that defy all logic? That’s our El Paso for you.
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Go ahead, keep loving Cohen. I, for one, would not go to a chihuahuas’ game there. Face it, people (except you) like downtown. However, Cohen would be a great location for youth baseball. Can’t understand why the city drug its feet.
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All I know is that Diablo games were worth the trip.
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Cohen is being held for developers.
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It’s because baseball can only happen downtown, regardless of benefit to anyone but you know who.
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Maybe if the renamed their association to”Foster-Hunt El Paso Border Youth Association”, things would have been very different.
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EPBYA has a sponsorship tie-in with the Chihuahuas and the Chihuahuas Next sports academy.
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