The news that Collaborative Children’s Solutions needs to take a two-year pause from hosting the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament is disappointing for some, but shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

We’ve been doing this particular dance with Gus Macker since The Resource Center decided years ago to start its own tournament rather than host the Gus Macker tournament because the costs were simply too high. The Post-Journal, Warren Times Observer and Dunkirk OBSERVER had the same experience. Now, Pat Smeraldo is having the same experience.

The Macker is a fun event for players. It’s rarely fun for tournament organizers.

Between scheduling with other events happening downtown and the inability to make the money work, Smeraldo really had no choice. We understand that fact better than most. A tournament that is supposed to be raising money for non-profits ends up costing so much that there isn’t much left for the non-profits. We’ve tried three times with three different sponsoring organizations with the same result. We shouldn’t beat our heads against this 3-on-3 basketball court again.

With that said, Smeraldo’s Collaborative Children’s Solutions has shown itself to be an adept event organizer over the past few years. Collaborative Children’s Solutions has saved some longstanding city events from ending, including the annual turning of the Chadakoin River green for St. Patrick’s Day, the city Labor Day festival and the downtown holiday parade.

The Macker has proven to be a difficult project for Jamestown. But our infatuation with the 3-on-3 basketball tournament is indicative of a bigger issue. Sometimes preserving the old keeps us from embracing something new. We’ve managed to hold on to some of our oldest, most recognized events because new organizers have stepped in when former organizers like the Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation, Jamestown Renaissance Corporation or the Chamber of Commerce stepped away from them. We’re thankful to people like Smeraldo, Dylan Moran and Rob Roth for keeping these recognizable events going. But maybe our focus on the old and recognizable means we’re missing an opportunity to create the next generation of downtown events. It’s a question worth considering.