Drunk Skaters. What a wonderful idea.

So Colorful, I have always loved the light show Sparkles.....Skates, beer and hotdogs! Woot :)

Wow Mike H...a couple of reallyharsh comments. No need to hate. If you have something against black skaters, just say so. If you have something against public establishments that serve beer, why don't you go post on walls of Chuckie Cheese, Bowling Alleys, Ball Parks, Sports Arenas, Golf Courses, etc. If it's not for you, then don't go there...it's just that simple.

Mike H has abused the privilege of posting on this site. ~JM

Patch seems to be inconsistent in monitoring comments. Others have been banned for making posts that were less provocative than Mike H's.

I do better than post on their walls, I don't take my family to places that serve alcohol. Not my idea of family entertainment. We all have choices to make as parents and I choose to not let my children frequent " family entertainment" that sell alcohol. Sparkles holds skating parties for elementary schools in Cobb County weekly. I don't feel that school aged children who are skating should be run over by Drunk adults on skates, nor should they be exposed to people that over indulge. This is just the way I feel about protecting my children. If others want to expose their families to this type of activity then that is surely their decision. And for the record I love balck skaters. Sorry that you got the impression from my post that I didn't.

Wow. I don't see how any of Mike's posts could be seen as inappropriate. I think his issue is with alcohol being served at an establishment that refers to itself as a place for "family entertainment". He is certainly entitled to his opinion weather anyone agrees or not. His opinion may differ from yours, that doesn't make it inappropriate. And why would anyone bring race in to this? I don't believe anyone has been banned from this site for having a difference of opinion. I believe people have been banned for violating Patch Rules, making personal attacks against other posters, foul language, making slanderous or offensive remarks or the like. I don't see any of that in Mike's comments.

The offensive post was removed. Patch determined is was inappropriate.
People defended him and that's inexcusable. No wonder Smyrna has a bad reputation.

As J. Mitchell said, the offensive post was removed. If you read it, and still defend it, then shame on you! This is a great publication...not a sounding board to bash any group or race of people who may have different interests than you. As for the other comment being "light sarcasm" (per SM Smyrna Optimist), what makes you so sure it was sarcasm? C'mon people--agree to disagree and move on. There's enough hate in this world--don't fuel it more here.

To clarify, the comment in question was ‘flagged’ by numerous readers. Once such has occurred a maximum amount of times, the comment is automatically deleted from Patch. Also, at the council meeting, the family owners of Sparkles went to great lengths to explain why they were seeking the license (to compete with the likes of Chuck E. Cheese’s, etc.) and how responsibly they intended to use it (special section of the rink where adults would consume beverages).

Yes, they did explain that a special section for drinking was being installed. My point was and still is that these people will go into the Drinking section, drink alcohol and will then head back for the rink where children are skating.Parents who would expose their children to adults on skates that have been consuming alcohol worry me. But of course, to each his own.It is just a prime example of a business more concerned with making money off of alcohol sales than to worry about the children in attendance. Atleast at Chuck E. Cheese the adults are not out skating with the children.

No matter what, there are just some people that you can't ever make happy.

Really LP. I am as happy as they come. I chose not to let my children be around a bunch of alcohol drinking adults. No great loss to me or my family. Tell me again how happy you are with your council woman ? Tell us all how happy you are about the new Racetrack coming in on Spring Road ? My cooments have nothing to do with happiness, I was just stating that they have lost my future business.

I completely see your point Mike. It's not about happy or not happy, it's about taking all aspects of the environment in to consideration when deciding where to take your family. It's about choices. Sparkles made the choice to serve alcohol. Some will choose to go there because of that. Others will choose not to go there.

I came to this thread to post my opinion, just like you LP. I mean, that is what these little boxes are for. Of course it is open for yours and I read each one of them. If we all agreed then it would truely be a boring World. While I do not drink or take my children to establishments that serve alcohol I certainly do know you have the same rights. I never said for others to boycott Sparkles, I just said that I am. Parents certainly need to know what is going on in their community and they should make a conscious decision on what is right for them and their families. No rants here, just stating my own opinion. You sure sang a different story about the Racetrak and I don't believe you own that company or property. In a few short months you can go to the Racetrak and get you a beer instead of having to pay an entrance fee at Sparkles. If you don't want to thats ok also. I am sure that they will not close their doors because you don't patronize them.

I can appreciate Sparkles needing to find other methods to generate revenue and cater to their clientele, however, I just hope that the owners do take into consideration mixing adults who are drinking and children (some that may not be very experienced in skating) in the same environment. I hope that the concept of having alcohol, adults who are consuming this alcohol and small children sharing the same venue do not prove to be a series of problems, some of which could entail serious injuries. Maybe the consumption of alcohol could be limited to after a designated time that most younger children would not be participating in the skating activity. Just a thought coming from a parent who has a small and very inexperienced skater.

I was flagged by removed yes. But when I stop and think about who did the flagging it is really a non issue for me. I was flagged by people assuming I made a Racial comment, when nothing was further than the truth. My comment was not flagged or removed by PATCH. I had no idea that a post was automatically removed if it flagged a couple of times. I have now started doing some flagging of my own now. By the way, where is your post about nails and trees ? Well, you certainly posted more than one word about that whole issue of the Racetrac. I will certainly live with Sparkles selling beer and you will live while looking out your window and looking at a Racetrac. On to the next subject.

I can only assume that Mike, et al, making comments about staying away from Sparkles due to beer being available for sale, does not frequent places with his family, such as restaurants (a beer-drinking customer may knock him off his chair when walking by) or a Braves/Falcons game (a beer-drinking fan may fall down the stairs and land on him) or a bowling alley (a beer-drinking bowler may throw his ball backwards and hit him in the head). The ridiculous part of this is, that Mike assumes that anyone who consumes beer will be drunk. According to Sparkles, they applied for this license primarily so they could allow beer & wine for their private parties (something the public kept asking for). They said their adults on Adult Night were in favor of it too, but if you ever bothered to go there, you would see these are serious skaters--not people who who are looking to get drunk. The stereotypes around someone having a beer are unwarranted. Ultimately the individual has to take responsibility for their own drinking. There's nothing to stop them from downing a six-pack in the parking lot before entering, if that's what it's about for them...clearly this is NOT about getting drunk. If you choose to use this as as excuse to stop patronizing Sparkles, then that's your choice. However, it comes down to being a judmental call on a business that has been running their Smyrna location responsibly for 40 years.

For the record, no I do not take my children to any establishment that serves alcohol. My wife and I do but I do not take my children to establishments that do. Yes, Sparkles can do and say anything they wish. They want it primarily for adult parties, but will sell it any night. I never said that everyone that drinks will get drunk. I did not assume anything thank you very much. I am a responsible parent and do not expose my children to environments that will expose them to people on skates who have been consuming alcohol. Simply put my primary job is to protect my children and I do what I feel is in their best interest. I do not speak in sterotypes or hypotheticals. Anyone that would just drop of their child at a skating rink, where the risk of them coming in contact with drunk adults is a very good possibility are putting their children at risk. I just choose to do my job as a parent the best way I can. The ridiculous part is that you assumed Dee. Yes, Sparkles has been running in Smyrna for 40 years without alcohol. Lets see if they are still around for 40 more.

I think there is a huge difference between a restaurant or a sporting event that serves alcohol and a skating rink. A skating rink can be a dangerous place for young skaters when everyone is sober. A skating rink that serves alcohol is even more dangerous to these young skaters. It sounds like a potentially dangerous situation to me.

Oh LP, I have missed you so. I wouldn't have responded again on this post if I hadn't been addressed in Dee's post 4 days later. What you failed to see is that I don't care if they serve alcohol. Heck, they can sell anything they want to as far as I am concerned. I simply stated that my children will not be going back to that location. I have said I am aware that all adults who drink there will not get drunk. You have a wonderful, twisted mind that likes to take comments and bend them to what you think has been said. You have been backwards skating for so long that you can't tell forward thoughts from backpedaling. All I know is that my children won't even run the risk of being ran over by an adult patron that has had too much to drink. It only takes one. My family and I are done with them. You do what you want. ***Sighs*** . Feel free to read all of my other comments on this site. I am not a city detractor by any stretch. I agree with Sparkles right to sell alcohol just like I agree to take my patronage somewhere else.

Oh Mike...your poor kids...missing out on Six Flags, water parks, bowling alleys, family restaurants that serve beer, Braves games...even DISNEY WORLD...all because you assume anyplace that serves beer is unsafe for your children. Beer sales at Sparkles are clearly meant to be an enhancement to their ADULT focused and private party business. Give me a break! It's very narrow-minded and stereotypical of you to assume, once again, that beer drinking = drunk skaters (yes--you said it--in your original post). We get it--you will not bring your kids to Sparkles or ANY establishment on God's green earth that serves alcohol. Your choice--now...let everyone else decide for themself and move on. End of story...