"2008-04-10T00:00:00"^^ . . "What a shame to hear what Metro Center has become. I was 11 years old when the mall opened, my mom was the assistant manager of the Ice Capades Chalet there at that time. \n\nMetro Center and the ice rink there was my home away from home. Everything was so fresh and new there and I'd walk the mall for hours and often time wondering what brand new store was \"Opening soon\" behind the plywood barriers. It was Ice Capades that eventually brought us out to California, leaving my romping grounds behind.\n\nI remember the Metro Port food court 747 jumbo jet fuselage that jutted the nose cone into the mall walkway. There were actual airline seats with fold down trays for dining inside. The Metro Lounge, above and around the rink perimeter, was designed as the side fuselage of a 747. I have no idea if it's still there. \n\nThe \"Alley\" was by far my favorite part of the mall, being a depiction of say, a New York alley and lined with unique shops.\n\nMetro Center was an incredible, fantastic place and my first job, at 14 years old, was there at the Batter Up (hot dog on a stick place). As I noted, everything there was so fresh and new. Graffiti, drive by shootings, carjacking and \"crack\" were not yet \"invented\" and cell phones, well, no such thing! The hot and new video game was \"Pong\", yes, that was state of the art! The ice rink had \"Discothque\" on Saturday nights, yep disco on the ice. I would often times work the DJ booth spinning records during the week (just a kid then) and keep score for hockey games for $1.50 a game at night.\n\nOne day a lady jumped off the bridge that crossed over the ice skating rink, a successful suicide. Very sad day, her husband and childred had gone ahead of her, e few hundred feet, to the Metro Port for lunch. While they entered the food court she jumped and killed herself during the skating session. \n\nAnother time, in the Metro Center early days, across the parking lot from the ice rink entrance were some apartments. One of the ice skating instructors, a good friend of the family, lived there with her brother and a room mate, she too worked at the rink. The room mate, Pam, was dating a guy that turned out to be married and she didn't know it. He claimed to be a single millionaire, lavishing her with gifts, Porsche, and fine dining. She had broken up with him and he showed up at the apartment, called her downstairs and shot her. She ran, trying to get away but he hunted her down and shot her to death against our friend's car. A bright yellow VW Rabbit with a friends blood stains all over the side of the car and friend lying beside and underneath was the scene. He shot at our friend's brother but missed, then turned the gun on himself and killed himself.\n\nSo, in a way, crime and tragedy in the Metro Center area has its roots in the beginning but I contend that it was nothing like the higher level of crime we are faced with today.\n\nAside from the tragedies, those Metro Center days were the best days of my childhood."^^ . . "5"^^ . "1"^^ . "4"^^ . "1"^^ . .