Just a heads up ... I think all of us need to get OUR KIDS (and their swim friends) involved in the public hearing March 6.

 

Here's why: 

 

1)  yesterday's letter to the editor (reprinted below) from a 7th grader - advocating for a skate park.

 

2)  the Dec 13 public hearing - when a Wilde Lake high school student gave testimony for a skate park, followed by a mom with 2 young sons (also present at hearing) waving a petition signed by 600 (?) students -- all advocating for a skate park.  This 3/6 hearing will be a replay of the 12/13 hearing, but multiply the # of advocaters ... we need to boost our #s (speakers & supporters) to be effective.

 

It's not that we're really "against" a skate park ... it's just that we'll be competing for (public official and media) attention and budget dollars (to the extent we want budget "seed money" to start a pool project).

 

Read the LETTER TO THE EDITOR below (which I think reads like it was a school assignment) ... but we need to mobilize our kids for the public hearing on March 6 ... I have a feeling that there'll be LOTS of kids attending ----------- but they will be advocating for a SKATE PARK. 

 

My 11-year old daughter says she'll speak at the hearing on March 6 .... but we need to multiply the swim kid factor!  Ulman needs to SEE kids in the audience supporting a pool, in addition to the kids in the audience supporting a skate park.     -Diane

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Howard County Times - Letters

02/14/08

Ellicott City skate park will save wear on cars, bodies

I say that there should be a skate park in Ellicott City. I know lots of people who like to skateboard and  rollerblade. The problem is that the closest skate park is about 30 minutes away. We need to have a skate park that kids can go to without their parents driving them when they have better things to do. This will also save lots of money from buying gas.

If we had a skate park, then we wouldn't have to skateboard or rollerblade in streets. Doing this is very dangerous. Most people who skate in streets or parking lots get injured from doing so. All of the injuries that occur cause parents money going down the drain to help with the injury.

These are a few of the many reasons why we should have a skate park in the neighborhood of Valley Mede.

Graham Knapp

Ellicott City

Graham Knapp is a seventh-grader at Patapsco Middle School.