Skate Park Remains Closed

DAYTON - The Dayton City Council decided the city skate park will remain closed.

The council agreed last Monday to keep the park pad- locked until the next council meeting on Monday, Sept. 24, when discussion on the park is expected to continue.

The council is asking to hear from more of those in the community who actually use the park before making a final decision on whether to close it permanently.

Several concerned citizens spoke out against the students and young adults who have been using the park inappropriately and breaking park rules last Monday at the council meeting.

Mayor Craig George said the city has received six or seven complaints about the park, including vandalism and foul language heard from those using it.

City employee Rob John, who is in charge of all city parks and recreation, said he has had a lot of problems with kids and young adults coming to the skate park and breaking the first posted rule: no bikes.

John said the worst event was about two or three weeks ago when he tried to suggest to a group of about 15 skaters that they leave their bikes outside of the skate park, so they wouldn't be tempted to break the rules and ride their bikes inside.

In response to the sugges- tion, the skaters openly mocked John. John said he suggested again that they leave the bikes outside of the skate park and at that point, the group began to verbally lash out at him.

"And then, the verbal abuse started," John said. "I was called just about any name in the book and some of them, I didn't even know where they came from."

John said the event didn't end that day. Since the alterca- tion with the skaters, John said the group members spot him in his work truck in the city and verbally assault him as he drives by.

"They see me on the street and they're there in their group," John said. "And they're there cussing at me when I go by. In my personal rig too, and one day when my granddaughter was in the rig with me."

John said the whole issue exists because he tried to en- force the rules. He noted the skate park rules say that if par- ticipants don't follow the rules, the city will lock the gate.

John said he hates to see the skate park closed because many students do follow the rules and get a lot of enjoyment out of the park, but the troublemaking skaters are ruining the park for everyone involved.

John said bikers in the skate park should be removed the same way someone who brings a dog to the park would.

Leslie Sweetwood, who helped the Columbia County Curb Stompers 4-H group set up the park in the first place, said the problem isn't inher- ently the skate park.

"The skate ramps aren't the problem," Sweetwood said. "The kids there are the problem."

Sweetwood suggested giv- ing troublemakers and rule breakers tickets or citations or even confiscating equipment from problem skaters.

Columbia County Sheriff Walt Hessler said a big issue with enforcing the rules of the park for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office is that breaking a skate park rule is not the same as breaking a law. The sheriff's office has been responding to disturbances reported, but they can't punish any of the kids or young adults for breaking a park rule.

George and Councilman Bill Graham suggested making the skate park rules into city ordinances so anyone caught breaking the rules could be forced to face the legal system.

City Councilman Jim Cooper said another problem with the skaters who cause trouble is they can just skate somewhere else in the city. Cooper said some of the kids skate behind the Columbia Rural Electric Association building and bring the foul language and inappropriate behavior with them.

George said there are sev- eral aspects to the overall issue and the council will attempt to address everything to the best of its ability. The first order of business for the council was to keep the park closed until more people could be notified of the problems at the park. George said he would draft up a letter to go out to all students in the Dayton School District to hopefully encourage some support to either close the park or reopen it.

The outcome of the park will be discussed at the next city council meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 24 at Dayton City Hall.