A place for skaters to shine
NAMPA -- The drizzling rain and cool temperatures didn't dampen the
spirits of skateboarders on hand for the grand opening of the
Stampede Skateboard Park Friday.
With a clip of the ceremonial scissors Nampa Mayor Maxine Horn opened the park to an enthusiastic group of skateboarders. Horn opted not to try the park, saying she forgot her skateboard, but she did remember to thank the volunteers and donors who made the park possible. "This is a great day for Nampa and it's youth," Horn said. Observing skateboarders enjoying the new park, Councilman Tom Dale said this type of park is long overdue. "Kids have not had a legitimate place to do this sport," Dale said. "With this here now they know it's theirs." Also on hand for the ceremony was Jason Keyes, 17, a Nampa High School senior, who along with other students first approached the city about the park. "We had a lot of say in the design and they were open when we told them wanted," Keyes said. Watching the skateboarders enjoying the park, he was pleased with how it turned out. "We would have been happy with anything, but this is really nice," Keyes said. The park is not finished and Keyes has enlisted the help of the Nampa High School welding class to help build some rails to be installed this spring. Other improvements will include completing the landscaping and adding signs and lighting. The Optimist Club has already signed on to provide the volunteer labor to install the lighting this spring. The Optimist Club, students, contractors and many more community members all donated their time and skills to make the park a reality. When asked why his club helped, Optimist President Mike Gray, looked around the park and offered up a simple answer. "Just look at all the kids," he said. |
Reprinted by permission of
Idaho Press Tribune
Note: article retyped in HTML for better readability. Dec 18, 1999 |