Skate park takes two steps forward, one step back

 

By Jeremy Adragna

C & G Staff Writer

     HAZEL PARK – City officials are set to allocate a 100-foot by 40-foot section of the parking lot at Green Acres Park for use as a skate park for local kids.

     A group called Active Motivation has, for the past two years, been raising money and volunteers to turn the idea dreamed up by a few skateboarding kids into reality.

     With the good news for Active Motivation organizer Roger Templeman comes another setback. Two pieces of skateboarding equipment that had been affixed to the asphalt at the new park were stolen on Sept. 9. It is the second such theft of Active Motivation’s equipment in the past year.

     The group set up two grind rails which, according to Templeman, had gotten a lot of use by local kids, who jumped at the chance to practice their moves when the equipment was set up there two months ago.

     In anticipation of the city’s official stamp of approval, Templeman and a group of volunteers were set to add a third piece of equipment to the park earlier this month. When they arrived to do the work, the group found the grind rails had been stolen.

     “It sucks, because you could go out there and there were kids,” said Templeman. “There were only two grind rails, but they were using it. It’s a prime example of how much this is needed because you put anything out there and they’re going to skate on it, just to have something to do.”

     Templeman is set to meet with City Manager Edward Klobucher and Recreation Department head Barb Scott this week to discuss the specifics of the deal. According to Klobucher, the land will continue to be owned by the city but will merely be allocated for use as a skate park.

     “We like the idea of a skate park,” said Klobucher. “We’ve been working with Mr. Templeman’s group since their inception to try and raise some funds so that the skate park can become a reality. They’re a lot of fun. It would be a very nice activity to be able to offer the young people in Hazel Park.”

     The two grind rails that Templeman purchased were bought with money from various fundraisers the group holds throughout the year. He got plenty of experience setting up volunteers with work for the Brightmoor Blight Blusters in Detroit for many years, before moving to Hazel Park five years ago.

     Templeman said in his effort to build the skate park here, he has turned a small group of young people into volunteers in their community. The group helps shovel snow for senior citizens in the winter months for free and even helped spruce up a local strip mall on John R with the city’s Marketing Action Team last month.

     After meeting with city officials next week, the matter of officially allocating the park for use as a skate park will have to go before City Council. 

     The next step for Templeman’s group will be raising money to erect a fence around the proposed site. An area was created inside the parking lot of Green Acres Park after City Council members voted to close off Annabelle Avenue to traffic earlier this year.

     Active Motivation is also seeking national sponsorship to help pay for the proposed $250,000 park.

     You can reach Jeremy Adragna at jadragna@candgnews.com