Opinions vary on skateboard park

Last modified: Monday, October 15, 2007 10:00 AM CDT

Opinions vary on skateboard park

Critics claim the skateboard park in Chippewa Falls has brought vandalism, underage drinking, and intimidation of others wanting to use the park off of Bridgewater Avenue.

Those criticisms increased after a proposal was made to spend nearly $55,000 to replace the current structure.

Northwestern Bank has donated $27,000 toward the project, and the city is expected to consider paying at least part of the rest in the 2008 budget.

Two city officials downplay problems at the current park, saying the public has a misconception of what’s happening there and of the skateboarders themselves.

Police Chief Wayne Nehring said his department has received calls for vandalism and underage drinking at the park. But he said those kinds of calls are indicative of other places where youths congregate.

“(With) Some of the complaints, there certainly is validity; others may not be valid,” he said.

For example, there has been some spray painting and graffiti writing at the park. But Nehring said the park has many responsible youths, too.

“They are trying to keep that park from being lost,” the chief said.

“The vast majority of kids that are using the facility are really good kids.

“People have to be careful not to paint with a broad brush here.”

Bill Faherty, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said he’s never received a report of intimidation by some skateboarders of others trying to use the park.

“I have never had a call, no one’s contacted me, (to say) that kind of behavior is going on,” Faherty said.

However it is, if you believe an anonymous letter sent to The Chippewa Herald.

“I stopped by there with my 6-year-old grandson in August as he wanted to try doing tricks with his bike. The garbage around that area was disgusting. There were pop cans, candy wrappers and basically just wrappers of all kinds all over the place,” the letter writer said.

“There were about six boys there ranging in age from probably 9-13. The language used was appalling. There were very intimidating, making me feel that I had no business there. Needless to say, we left after two ‘jumps’ and we have not been back since.”

And several other anonymous complaints with similar themes have been made through reader comments to the Herald’s Web site, www.chippewa.com.

Faherty said the language of some skateboard park users is not acceptable, but it is hard to control.

And he said the trash problem is the biggest one facing the park, but one that‘s improved since police officers have talked to youths using the park.

Even though there’s a large trash container readily available, there are candy bar wrappers or empty plastic bottles sitting on the ground.

“I don’t think they do it on purpose. They do it on habit,” Faherty said.

That’s not unusual. Faherty said the parks department regularly has to clean up after adults using Casper Park and Irvine Park.

The police department is working on ways to improve conditions at the skateboard park as a part of a community program it already has in place. Two officers are assigned to districts within the city and they try to address long-term solutions for problems.

For example, there have been discussions about whether fencing around the skateboard park would help.

“We think there’s some value at fencing or at a minimum looking at the environmental design on this,” Nehring said.

Faherty is open to a smaller fence to create a boundary for the skateboard park, but he wants to keep the park free for kids to use.

“I’m not going to put a cyclone fence around it and charge to get in,” he said.

The city doesn’t charge basketball players for using city courts.

“We don’t charge people for tennis and we don’t charge people to picnic, so I’m not going to charge people, because I don’t think it would work,” Faherty said.

Another idea is to place the skateboard ramp in a different location to increase visibility.

“We think that may be a very viable idea,” Nehring said.

He’s offering to meet with Faherty to discuss planning for a new skateboard park and its layout.

Nehring said the skateboard park gives youths a chance to participate in a physical activity at a time experts warn of an increase in childhood obesity.

“We’re encouraging them to get out with a very simple toy with a place to go outdoors,” he said. “You’ve got to give them a place to play.”