Skate-park success story possible
Inter Lake editorial
One young boy summed it up: "If you guys close the skate park, where would we go?"
Good question. A major purpose of the Woodland Park skateboarding facility was to provide skaters with a venue other than scattered business parking lots where they were not welcome.
But problems have emerged, and they cannot be ignored. Police-related incidents at the park rose from 250 in 2003, when the park was opened, to 417 in 2007. But that doesn't say it all - contrary to some stereotypes, it is loitering non-skateboarders rather than skaters who are causing most of the trouble.
The good news is that the problems aren't being ignored. The Kalispell City Council is addressing the matter, starting with a meeting last week that was well-attended by parents and skaters and others who are interested in seeing a more civilized skate park.
The best news is that the participating public offered a litany of ideas aimed at addressing the specific problems such as vandalism, litter, harassment, drugs, drinking and fights.
Rising to the top was a suggestion that a foundation or task force be established to team up parents, law enforcement and responsible skaters for improving conditions at the park. Sounds sort of like a "neighborhood watch" program that would indeed provide a more effective deterrent and enforcement against troublemakers.
Other ideas that have come up include establishing memberships for qualified individuals to be in the skating area, and volunteer efforts for picking up litter. A foundation can take the lead in organizing improvements at the park.
And improvements should not be considered difficult to attain. One Daily Inter Lake reader informed us that a much larger, busier public skate park in Missoula is a model in the way it operates, and lessons can be learned from that facility.
Research into success stories such as that, if true, might provide the framework for a solution here. In any case, we can't just skate away from the problem, and everyone knows it.