Arcade? Skating Rink? Students Give Belmar Council Their Wish List

The public portion of contained several requests from residents that the governing body has likely not heard all year. 

It probably had something to do with the fact that those residents were sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. 

The list of requests from students of , where once each year the governing body holds its regular meeting, included an arcade, ice skating rink, swimming pool and water park. 

While several items on the youngsters' wish list would most likely have to be fulfilled by private sector developers, a few, such as a walking bridge over Silver Lake, are actual possibilities, Mayor Matt Doherty said. 

"I thought they were really good ideas and suggestions," Doherty said. "I think the rest of the council thought it was really useful to hear directly from the (students)." 

The most viable suggestion, Doherty said, was a skating rink in town. 

The borough has land at Dempsey Park on 16th Avenue that would likely be able to accommodate such a rink, Dempsey said after the meeting. 

The mayor told the students that the governing body would look into several of their ideas in the months ahead.

"Out of the suggestions, we'll break down the ones we can actually do on our own and then we'd have to figure out the financing and the cost, and which ones would have to be done through a private sector entity," Doherty said. 

The governing body once every year holds its meeting at the school to get its young residents involved in the governing process.

"Hopefully something like this gets them interested and involved in the governing body and their community," Doherty said. 

In fact, two students several years ago suggested a miniature golf course in town —an idea that will finally come to fruition at the Ninth Avenue pier, Doherty said. 

Another viable idea suggested Thursday is a splash park in town, Doherty said.

"I think that's actually do-able," Doherty said. 

The idea that got the largest applause from the students was a request to make beach access free to all residents. 

The mayor and Councilman Jim Bean, however, informed the students that by state law the borough has to charge the same price for beach access to both residents and non-residents. 

And Doherty reminded the kids that the beach is free for anyone under the age of 15 — a demographic he referred to as "the cool people."

Doherty and Bean both have children that attend the school, and Council President Claire Deicke, now retired, taught there for 22 years.