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By NATHAN MARCHAND
Tony Hawk would be proud.
The Bluffton skateboard park project committee has made progress on building a skate park for local youth. Committee members are Joe Lamar, Bud Abrams, Kent Ringger, Howard Rich, Al Vandentop, and youth coordinator Tim Zurcher.
Tony Hawk, for those less-initiated in the skate board world, is a world-class professional skateboarder.
“It’s going to give youth a place where they can skateboard or rollerblade instead of in the street or on church property or courthouse steps,” said Lamar. “They won’t have police bothering them [either].” He also hopes it will create a better outlook on the skateboarders.
Lamar said a location has been selected for the park: a vacant lot at 803 and 805 West Market St. It was donated by the city.
The park will feature half-pipes, quarter pipes and grindboxes, among other things. Lamar expects there to be between 10 and 12 items and obstacles in the park.
Construction has not started on the park yet, and no work will be done until the $165,000 needed to pay for the park is raised. Lamar said fundraising for the park has just begun. He expects donations to come in from individuals or service clubs interested in helping youth.
If $100,000 can be raised, the project committee could acquire a grant to pay for the remaining costs.
There is no completion date yet for the park.
Once built, the park will by under the direction of the Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department.
“It’ll be a nice addition to the area,” said Lamar.
He also expects it to attract skateboarders from outside the city. “Especially from Wells County. If we build it the way they want, it will attract boarders from Berne, Decatur and other places outside Wells County.”
While park rules have yet to be determined, Lamar said skateboarders will be required to wear helmets, knee pads and elbow pads while utilizing it.
The skate park committee was formed in July 2007 by the Methodist Men’s Fellowship at First Baptist Church to provide a place for skateboarding youth to enjoy their favorite pastime.
The committee has been working with Rev. Cindy Osgood and First Baptist Church Pastor Bud Abrams to create a skate park ever since.
Over two dozen teens, along with many other parents and community members, attended the committee’s first meeting in September to hear the basic idea of the park, and to explore the possible design and equipment needed.
During the meeting, the teens were asked to select four representatives to serve on a committee that would offer input on the project. After a brief caucus they selected Kenny Olderman, Nick Collins, Joe Jackson, and Hunter Armstrong.
The project committee held meetings at the church and the Arts, Commerce and Visitors Centre. Mayor Ted Ellis, Wells County Foundation Director Tammy Slater, Pastor Abrams, as well as local community leaders attended the meetings. Two representatives from the Fort Wayne based architectural firm The Design Collaborative also came to a meeting. These meetings were held to gather the teens’ input on materials, design elements, and the organizational structure of the park.
Inquiries were also sent to 30 Indiana communities that operate skateboard parks, hoping to get input on building a skate park.