Hey all,

Thanks for all you do to support the Ann Arbor Skatepark Action
Committee. We are dedicated to getting a free, public, concrete
skatepark built in Ann Arbor. Your support is crucial as we work with
the city government to make this skatepark a reality.

I wanted to send out a notice clearing up some things that have been
confusing in the last few days. Firstly, we had a get together of the
Steering Committee the other night. The way we worded the "invitation"
made it sound as if it were a meeting of the Ann Arbor Skatepark
Action Committee. Some folks were put off by the sound of a skatepark
meeting being held at a restaurant/bar. Well, the "meeting" was not
actually a meeting, but a social gathering of some members of the
Steering Committee, and we wanted to invite members of the public to
come and meet us, talk skatepark and socialize a bit. We have worked
very hard in the past year to make the skatepark happen, and we needed
some time to relax, blow off steam, and kick off the new year.

I want to personally apologize, on behalf of the Ann Arbor Skatepark
Action Committee, to anyone who felt left out of the loop because of a
meeting being held at a restaurant/bar. All we intended to do was get
out and let our hair down before the hard work starts up again.

The next thing I wanted to clear up is the fundraising show(s)
situation. As many of you know, our first fundraising event is next
Friday, January 11. This show will be held at the Blind Pig, and is
for folks who are 18 years and older. Again, folks are feeling left
out of the action by having a fundraising show that is for people over
18 only. Don't worry though! We plan to have at least one show a month
to raise money for, and awareness of the Ann Arbor Skateapark Action
Committee. In a perfect world, we'll have an all-ages show and a +18
show each month. At this point we have two shows/fundraising events
scheduled: the one at the Blind Pig in January, and an all ages show
at the Elbow Room in Ypsi in February.

We want to cater to all skaters and supporters of the skatepark. We
come from all different backgrounds, and we are all different ages. We
will have events for all, and events that will only be for some. We
want everyone involved, and do not want to leave anyone out. Please
let us know your thoughts on how we are serving the needs of the
skating community. We want to offer as many chances as we can for you
to be involved.

I hope this clears up some things for people. 2008 is going to be the
year of the skatepark in Ann Arbor. There's a lot of hard work ahead,
but there's going to be a lot of fun involved too. And when this park
gets built, we'll all be able to drop in and say, "IT WAS ALL WORTH IT."

Thanks for your time. I hope to meet you soon at one of the upcoming
skatepark meetings. The next one is this Tuesday, January 8, 5:30 pm
at Scarlett Middle school. And don't forget to visit a2skatepark.org
for all the updated info on events, happenings and news.

Have a great 200sk8!

Trevor Staples
The Ann Arbor Skatepark Action Committee