Newspaper articles & coverage for and against the Molalla Skate Park and skaters.
Apology to skaters
Published Molalla Pioneer July 19, 2006
I'd like to apologize to the skaters who showed up for the skate competition on July 8,
only to find there was none. But I needed your help and found no skaters or parents coming forward. I have been asking for
skaters and parents to come forward and help since the inception of the skate park in 2000. I have been trying so hard to
give skaters the image they deserve and keep the city and community involved, but I am getting tired of doing something for
those who don't seem to care. Every year I have hosted a skate competition and worked with national skate companies to make
people see what our little town did with a big dream. But less and less Molalla businesses want to be involved because, "...there's
too many drugs and bad behavior at the skate park." Why not help give it a postive image instead of helping enforce the negative
image so many people believe? It seems to me that after the skate park opened no one wanted to keep it going. Every December
I start comtacting companies on getting involved and to help portray the positive image. And every June I feel like I've done
too much, and every year I swear this will be the last year. And this year I said it again, but this year I went to the skate
park anyway, knowing I would not be having the competition and gave prizes for kids for just being there and doing what they
love. So, now I leave it up to you. Will we be having a skate competition next year? Will the skate park eventually wither
away and no one remember what we did and why? Where will you go if not here? I'd like to call out to all parents
of skaters, skaters, and friends of the skate park. I am asking for help. I am but one person and now being a single mom I
can only do so much. I'd like to continue being part of the skate park because I just feel too long it's been my baby and
it's hard for me to just walk away from the kids and the talent. I'd love the help and will continue to host skate competitions
and hopefully more of you will get involved and we can bring the skate park to the former glory and good name.
It amazes me how easy it is for the community to come together with Java 4 Justin having already
raised more than $30,000.
I have been asking for help to raise a mere $400 for the insurance for the skate competition
and have found the community involvement severely lacking.
We had a car wash from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 21 and raised just $35 because only seven cars
showed up.
On June 4, we were at the Saturday Market in Molalla and we held a demonstration and gave posters
and stickers for those who were kind enough to donate.
We have passed out flyers that said we need local businesses and people’s help, and we’re
still about $350 away, and we need the insurance turned into the city at least two weeks prior to the event.
If I absolutely have to I could come up with the insurance premium myself, but I had hoped the
community would feel compelled to get involved and show the kids they care.
It saddens me that there are so many kids that go to the skate park to show their talents and
they are still being portrayed as nuisances.
Some of the businesses I’ve talked to said they’d love to help, but they don’t
like the image the skate park portrays, which is unfortunate.
It’s not the skate park. Yes, there are those few bad apples that go to the skate park
just to misbehave, but why are you condemning everyone for the actions of so few? I go to the skate park three times a week
and to talk to the skaters.
In addition, Michelle Leis has been a Godsend. She is a recent graduate and for the last couple
years has helped coordinate some of our events, kept in contact with skaters and helped pick up the park.
I admit I hadn’t for the last two years because I was busy out of state with some of my
own life goals. The problem is the bad behavior is overshadowing all of the good myself, SkatePark Investors, the City, and
the skaters have done to make this park possible.
I’m back and I want the city and the community to know the kids who visit the skate park
are not as bad as the image people have given them. Please come together and show these kids their talents are not forgotten
and you support what they can do.
For more information or to help go to http://skateparkinvestors.tripod.com or e-mail me at skateparkinvestors
or call me at 503-539-2792.
We will have the competition with or without the communities’ help. I just hope it’s
with.
Salena De La Cruz, CEO
SkatePark Investors
Molalla
Printed in the Molalla Pioneer 6/15/05
Locker room donations not slight to SkatePark
In response to the SkatePark Needs money, too:
I have read the last two letters to the editor on the SkatePark needs from Salena De La Cruz.
After our son started school, we were completely involved in all activities that needed our
help, support, funds, etc. The parents and family members have to be the first ones to help if they want something done. It
cannot be up to others to get these activities going or funds needed. We continued to volunteer after he graduated.
I believe that the parents and family members of the kids who use the SkatePark and want to
have functions there need to be the first ones giving money and time.
Because the car wash did not bring in a large amount of money does not mean that people do not
support the SkatePark.
I do not believe that the SkatePark not getting the money needed has anything to do with the
support for the memorial in the name of Justin Hobart. Putting people down for the contributions made or not made is not the
way to get support.
I strongly feel your last letter in the Pioneer is a very negative letter against people who
have chosen to contribute to something they believe in, and it in does not mean they are against the SkatePark.
I hope you are successful in getting the support and funds needed for the SkatePark and for
the kids involved.
Sally Zeek
Molalla
Letters to the editor
Date Published to Web: 5/18/2005 (Molalla Pioneer)
Looking for help to raise funds for SkatePark insurance
You love your kids. You want more for them than to just hang out in the streets and find their
way to drugs, alcohol and who knows what else, right? Well here’s your chance to do something for the kids of this community.
On May 21, SkatePark Investors will be having a car wash to raise money to get liability insurance so we can have a skate
competition on July 2.
We’d like the help of the community in raising the funds. There are some really talented
skaters in town. Open your eyes! We need to get this skate park on the map! Yes, it’s great the kids have something,
but there’s more to it than just having a skate park; there are designs and plans involved.
We, at SkatePark Investors have been trying to make the skate park even better, but we need
your help. We need find funding to revamp the park and get insurance for the competition to help remind people the park is
still there. Let’s be honest, there are only a few things in town for kids. The skate park, the Youth Center, the pool,
the bowling alley and parks. But where can they really go to express themselves and bust out their talents?
Help me show the kids in this town we care about them and recognize their talents. After all,
bustin’ out is what it’s all about! For more information or to help go to http://skateparkinvestors.tripod.com,
email, skateparkinvestors or call SkatePark Investors Ceo, Salena De La Cruz at 503-805-3498.
Salena De La Cruz
Molalla
Editorial - Skatepark closing..it's up to the kids
Story by: Stephen St. Amand
Molalla Pioneer
Date Published to Web: 10/2/2003
In
1998, a group of young skateboarders came to the city with an idea to build the Molalla Skatepark.
Inspired
by the teens, the city and county donated nearly $60,000 to begin the project, while area businesses and organizations volunteered
materials and labor to aid in the construction.
When
the park opened in 2000, it was considered one of the better skateparks in the region. More importantly, the park symbolized
a true partnership between the youth and adults of the community.
Just
three years later, however, that partnership has eroded because of the lack of stewardship at the park. Littering, teen smoking
and noise have been common complaints (approximately 125 formal complaints) since the park opened.
The
public works department has removed a picnic table and garbage can after they were both destroyed.
Meanwhile,
city workers are spending approximately 45 minutes a day cleaning the park, prompting the Molalla City Council to increase
patrols. They also said that if conditions at the park don’t improve, they would move to shut it down permanently.
Teens
at the park said they would hate to see the park closed because it is one of just a few after-school hangouts in the city,
and said that a handful of teens are ruining it for the rest of them.
Illustrating
the point, on a visit to the park last week, most of the teens were skating or sitting and talking. Several teens said they’ll
come down with a broom to sweep out the bowl, or a garbage bag to pick up some of the trash around the facility.
The
problem was that of a dozen kids there, one — who was probably 15 — was smoking.
While
he wasn’t damaging property, littering or bothering anyone, he was part of the problem. He is an example of why people
have a negative perception of teens and skateboarders.
The
Molalla Police have been charged with patrolling the park and controlling the nuisances, but it’s really up to the teens
to police themselves if they want the park to remain open.
They
can tell the handful of troublemakers to pick up their garbage, or to keep the noise down. They can tell kids to find another
place to smoke.
If
they show that their actions aren’t tolerated, chances are the troublemakers will find somewhere else to go.
It
took teens to inspire this park, and it’s going to take teens to keep it open. It’s in their hands.
