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Skate park schedule 'a work in progress' |
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Wednesday, 21 November 2007 |
 A group of local skaters shredding at the skate park. Bishop Community Services Director is working with the local youngsters to improve and enforce rules at the park, which is proving to be an ongoing process. File photo By Mike Gervais
Register Staff 11-20-2007
Local youngsters and the Bishop Community Services Department have some kinks to work out on their newly-forming skate park plan.
“We’re a work in progress,” Bishop Community Services Director Keith Caldwell explained. “Everyone is trying to get this to work out the best it can,” he added, in reference to some new rules and regulations at the skate park.
The previous schedule of alternating between skaters and bikers every hour at the Bishop City Park Skate Park wasn’t well received by the facility’s users, which has Caldwell looking for a timetable that’s both convenient and adhered to.
That schedule was first developedlast month, when Caldwell met with local skaters and bikers regarding their use of the park. He was able to work out a deal with the city’s insurance company to permit bicycles into the skate park, but wanted to develop a system with local youth who use the park to make some new rules and enforce them.
One of the stipulations handed down from the insurance company for allowing bicycles into the park was that bikes and skateboards couldn’t be in the park at the same time. Caldwell explained this to the skate park users and asked them to develop a system to regulate the times for boarders and bikers.
They decided that hourly sessions for skaters and bikers would work best, allowing everyone to use the park every day. It was decided that bikes could have free run of the park during the even hours of the day, and boarders could rule during the odd hours.
“We had some problems right after the meeting” last month, Caldwell explained.
As it turns out, a group of kids that uses the park doesn’t know the difference between odd or even hours – or at least, that’s what they told police officers when they were using the skate park out of turn.
But it remains to be seen whether there’s a large contingent of youth failing in basic math or Caldwell has his job cut out for him in terms of local kids who are just unwilling to cooperate on matters regarding the skate park.
“There are some respectful kids out there and I really appreciate that,” Caldwell said, noting that he is hoping to continue to work with all the youngsters who use the park in order to make it a safe, fun place to hang out and skate or bike.
“It was just unenforceable” to have hourly sessions at the park, Caldwell said. “We wanted to have something that was more consistent. Kids were running over on their time” and causing problems for local law enforcement officers who were trying to regulate the park and its rules.
Caldwell met again with the skate park crowd – though a much smaller group than at the October meeting – last Wednesday to discuss the problems, and solutions, for the skate park.
At the latest meeting Caldwell and the beginnings of what is hoped to be a youth council for the skate park re-thought the hourly timeframe at the park and decided that day-by-day trade-offs between bicycles and skateboards would be a more manageable, less confusing way to operate the park.
There is the added bonus that most kids – save for maybe those who fall down a lot in the park – know what day of the week it is.
It was decided that Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays would be designated for skateboards and Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would be days set aside strictly for bikes. Mondays the park will be open to boards from 8 a.m.-noon and noon-4 p.m. for bikes.
“It was decided that Monday is probably the least-used day and if we hear some feedback from kids with boards” about the hours on Monday, the hours of that day’s schedule can be discussed at the next skate park meeting, on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. in the executive meeting room at Bishop City Hall.
Anyone using the skate park outside of the designated time – for example, bikers using the park on a Tuesday, or a boarder in the park on a Sunday – is subject to fines and possibly a ban from the park.
Another issue that has yet to be resolved in the park is kids skating or biking without helmets or other proper pads.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to wear a helmet,” Caldwell said. Not only can it save skaters’ and riders’ lives, but it is one of the main rules of the skate park. One of the city’s insurance carrier’s stipulations for bikes being allowed in the skate park is that users regulate themselves and help enforce all skate park rules, yet the Bishop Police Department is still kicking kids out of the park for not wearing pads.
“I’ve heard some kids say, ‘Hey, you need to put a helmet on,’” Caldwell said, explaining that there are some kids trying to enforce the rules, but it will take a community effort to really fix the issues at the park.
“It is still our goal to form a youth council” that will meet with the Parks and Recreation Commission to discuss policy, rules and more and be “the driving force behind competitions and other events,” Caldwell said.
That youth council got its start last month at the first meeting Caldwell hosted to discuss the skate park with its users. Several skaters and bikers gave Caldwell their contact information to begin meeting as a youth council. However, even with notices posted at the park, only a handful of skate park users turned up at last week’s skate park meeting.
“We want to work with the kids,” Caldwell said. To be sure the skaters and bikers can have their say in skate park matters the Community Services Department will be hosting open-forum meetings the second Tuesday of each month to discuss skate park rules and regulations.
The first meeting regarding the skate park was attended by about 30 kids who were interested in talking with Caldwell about the park. Some suggestions were thrown out, such as the possibility of putting bleachers up near the skate park for spectators, community service for skate park offenders rather than tickets, and a suggestion box at the skate park.
Caldwell said he is still hoping to work with the Bishop City Council on some of those suggestions.
At the conclusion of the meeting most of the youth involved were happy with the results.
“I’m stoked,” said local biker Seth Ward.
“I’m stoked as well,” said Clint Peters. “It’ll be nice not to have to throw your bike” over the park fence when police or park officials turn up.
One local skater commented that he is interested to see if the city follows through with its promises, and if the local skaters and bike riders will be willing to make a long-term commitment to being involved with the skate park decision making.
“I guess it’s alright, if it all sticks,” he said. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 January 2008 )
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