SKATEPARK RE-OPENED AFTER INSPECTION/ GRAND OPENING STILL ON!

After a safety inspection, the skatepark re-opened last week. The Grand opening event is still slated for Sunday May 26th. Brian at the e-zine livingmercer.com was kind enough to post this for us:

Skate Park Grand Opening Set for May 26th

Posted by: Brian Monroe in Local News 11 days ago 0 101 Views

The Celina Skatepark will be hosting a “Grand Opening Cook-Out” and 1st annual Skateboard Competition.
Skate board enthusiasts mark your calendar for May 26th. The Celina Skatepark will be hosting a grand opening event open to the public at the newly developed park located within Westview Park. Starting at 1 p.m. in the shelter house near the skate park, there will be food and drinks available on a donation basis.
A team from Instrument Skateboards (http://instrumentskateboards.blogspot.com/) will be doing a demo and judging a skate competition to begin at 3 p.m. To enter, you must sign up by 2 p.m. The competition will be in a “Jam” format and will award prizes in two age categories; 15 and under and 16 and up.
The park is for everyone of all ages and was [partially] funded by a $10,000 Tony Hawk Foundation grant. The skate park also accepts donations to continue to add... [to] the park. You can contribute by contacting the Mercer County Civic foundation  (http://www.mercercountycivicfdn.org/) and designate the funds to the Skateboard Park Project Fund.
See more details on the park website: http://www.gudork.blogspot.com/

Visit livingmercer.com and visit your local skatepark May 26th- come out and support local youth!

CELINA SKATEPARK IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED

The Skatepark is temporarily closed. According to a front page story in the Daily Standard tonight, the city shut it down due to alleged safety concerns that Geoff Froning brought up at Monday night's city council meeting. This is a huge disappointment. Although we have known there were some design flaws for some time; I don't think anyone involved thought this would make the park so unsafe that it should be closed down. Perhaps he is a concerned citizen bringing up valid points... but all I can think about is how much time and effort those involved have put into this. And how so many were looking forward to promoting the park and community involvement... The park is closed for now. I will post updates and news as I receive it.

"GRAND" OPENING DAY

On May 26th there will be a public Grand Opening Event held at the Celina Skatepark. Starting at 1 p.m. in the shelter house near the skate park, there will be food and drinks available on a donation basis. A team from Instrument Skateboards: http://instrumentskateboards.blogspot.com/  will be doing a demo and judging a skate competition to begin at 3 p.m. To enter, you must sign up by 2 p.m., the comp will be in a "Jam" format and will award prizes in two age categories; 15 and under and 16 and up. The park is for everyone of all ages, so come on out and join us- it's a time to celebrate what began as a mere dream! This is a free event, we want to bring awareness to the park project and continue to raise funds towards the next phases of the park to bring it even closer to completion!  Look for flyers around town, "Like" the Facebook page and plan to be there!

On another note, I was out at the park on Saturday and didn't see the rules sign, so it looks like I was a little premature in announcing the posting! Regardless, it will be out there and please- be respectful of the park, each other and the community. We want to keep the positive momentum and vibe around this project going strong and that's up to you... Everything you do reflects on the park- show this town that this is a worthy project and worth completing! This is a violence free, alcohol and tobacco free zone.  Bring your boards, leave your attitudes at home and pick up your trash! It's about skating plain and simple.

Today, I printed up the flyers that Kyle created and talked with a local radio rep about helping get the word out. Flyers can be picked up at these local locations: Celina Library, Celina Parks and Recreation, Casa Rodriguez, Jony D's Images, and more!

We're always looking for donations/contributions to further the completion of the park. You can give your donation to any of the volunteers (Checks should be made out to Celina Skate Park) or by contacting Mercer County Civic foundation:  http://www.mercercountycivicfdn.org/. Be sure to designate the funds to the Skateboard Park Project Fund.

Thanks for the continued support!

RAIL'S UP AND RULES POSTED...MEETING TONIGHT

Making progress... Been touching base with the guys who are spearheading the project so far and over the last couple weeks, they've really kicked it into high gear. Donations for food and drinks are trickling in, a team from Instrument is definitely coming up for the Grand Opening and they will be judging the competition. We're still actively looking for donations for prizes for two age groups.
The rules for the park were posted a few days ago for those who haven't been out there yet; so things are still moving along with the city too. I hope this clears up all the questions about whether bikes are allowed. The skatepark is NOT for bikes.
I hope there's a good turn out for the meeting tonight as there have been a lot of folks asking for news and updates and how they can help. This will be a great opportunity for you skaters out there to share your ideas for future events and the direction you'd like to see the Park go in.
It's also a chance to show that this is a positive thing for our community and to prove to the doubters and naysayers that the Park is worthy of public funding and that skaters aren't just a bunch of troublemakers or something. Gotta represent guys!! (and Girls!)
It's a beautiful day- GO SKATE!

PUBLIC MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

A meeting/discussion group is planned for Friday May 3rd at 6:15 p.m. at the Celina Public Library. This group is open to the public. We will hear from various volunteers about current events, future event planning and fundraising ideas. There is a Grand Opening event being organized for May 26th at the Park; and will be the major topic of discussion. Also on the agenda, Phase 2 Fundraising. Local skaters- all ages- are invited to attend. The public is also invited to attend. Questions and more information please call 419-953-6426 or visit: https://www.facebook.com/celina.skatepark?fref=ts

A NEW ERA...

Thank you so much to Mr. Gudorf, Jon Wenning at Jony D's, Jeff Fortkamp and Celina Parks and Rec, the City of Celina, past and present City Council members, the Mercer County Civic foundation, past and present City Safety Directors, Local Skaters and Parents, Kyle Miller for establishing the Celina SkatePark Facebook page, Craig Gariety for relentlessly campaigning for this project, Celina Church of God, The Lake Fest Committee, The Tony Hawk Foundation, Shinn Bros. and the many other local businesses and city residents who have given their support, time, tireless efforts and monetary donations to the Celina SkatePark.

The push for something like this actually started back in the early nineties from what I recall. Local students who endured a lot of harassment and bullying for identifying with the skate boarding culture, which was very far from the norm in a rural community such as Celina, simply needed a place to go. The internet hadn't really blown up here, cell phones were not yet a common sight and skater culture was certainly identified as something "outsider"and "alternative." There are far too many stories of harassment by fellow students, immediate dismissals and quick judgements based on the skater style of clothes the kids would wear, and a prevalent perception that these skater kids were nothing but troublemakers. I am certain some were. And I'm as certain now as I was back then, that any kid when given a place to be and their interests and identities legitimized will re-direct their energy into that interest and nothing but positivity will come out of it.  These poor kids have been chased, ran off, had the police called on them, fined, bullied and then some. All because they wanted to pursue their sport of choice but had nowhere they were actually allowed to be and nowhere legitimate to congregate. In other words, if you treat a kid like a criminal....
The kids back then wanted to prove that skateboarding is not a crime- so they circulated a petition. Sadly, the project never got off the ground. The students got older, moved away, went to college... some moving back after graduation and starting their own families and careers here. We were now on the next generation and the kids still faced many of the same obstacles. So, a few years ago, the drive began again.

Over the last few decades, skateboarding has become an internationally well known and recognized sport. You can even "Go Pro"and get a sponsorship, endorsements, video games, clothing lines...
More people understand that it is a sport, that skating encourages exercise, requires balance and is very physically demanding (just ask some of the Dads who skate with their sons and try and show 'em a thing or two)! Skate boarding requires dedication in order to be good at it. Even if you're not good at it and have no intention whatsoever on taking it any further than perfecting tricks in your buddy's driveway, it gives you something to do! It gives kids a focus, a common bond and, in a way, their very own  community. I don't know any parent, educator or any sensible person for that matter who would rather see a group of kids wandering aimlessly around town just itching for something to get into than see them hopping on a skateboard.

So here we are; a new era for Celina. Funds have been raised and the unimaginable is here! The first phase of the long awaited skatepark is a reality. Sure, there are bugs. There are quirks. This is all new territory for the entire community. But ultimately, we did it. As a community, for our community. For our kids.

So, thank you thank you thank you to the many members of our community who never gave up and who see the value in supporting our youth.

*This project is far from complete. Please, lend your support today and check back here regularly for updates. Thank you Celina!

Letter to the Editor

A Letter to Local Skaters

Thank you for this opportunity to update area skaters and supporters on the current status of the skatepark effort. Stay positive. The hard work of many is paying off. The Skate Day events and sales projects have raised the fund to nearly $20,000. On top of this, a $10,000 Tony Hawk Foundation Grant was recently accepted by the city.

For many years, skaters and their families have kept alive the dream of a skatepark. After much time and effort with skaters, Jeff Fortkamp originally established the skatepark fund at the Mercer County Civic Foundation. In these last 2½ years, a team of adults and skaters has continued the work. Many skaters, parents, and local businesses have joined Jony D, Ray, Ruth, Nancy, myself and countless others to sponsor, organize and supervise events. At your Skate Days we have registered 270 skaters of ages ranging from 3 to 30 representing twenty different communities from Darke, Auglaize, Mercer, and Van Wert counties.

In this last year, city personnel have been helpful and supportive with the Tony Hawk Grant application, designs and drawings. Skaters have been actively involved in the process. The beauty of your current design is that it is multi-functional. Walkers, roller skaters, inline skaters, and skateboarders will share an aesthetically pleasing concrete park. Places to sit and watch with a lunch or an ice cream are part of the design. Everything will be built to skate. In the final phase, water splash areas spring to life for the public to enjoy during those hot summer days. A walking path will encircle the park as well. Festival planning committees will find the concrete surfaces and features very useful should the project end up in the Lakeshore park area. Like other city parks, the “Celina Skate Plaza” will be open from dawn to dusk, free to all, and maintained by the city. Liability is no different from other public parks. This all-concrete park will serve many more than we originally dreamed.

Skaters, you have the support of many. Your fund continues to grow. A “people park” that you can skate safely is just around the corner. In the mean time, you must show respect to property and business owners, community members, and the law. You have inherited a bad reputation because of the bone-headed behavior of a handful of skaters who continue to attract the wrong kind of attention. Don’t skate where you’re not allowed. Work to win your community’s trust. Help sell “Go Skateboarding” cards and contact us with questions and comments through the website: www.celinaskatepark.com.

Keith