Let’s build a skate park for the kids
To the Editor:
Thank goodness the election is over! Now we can pull together on working on perfecting our Union - a new Union that is inclusive, tolerant and compassionate.
Have we made it yet? Beyond black and white, rich and poor, republican and democrat?
We have 1o,000 things to do and the spirit of a new America is depending on our collaborative efforts.
Here is something I need help with. Is anyone interested?
It’s creating a concrete skateboard park at E’Kone Park, similar to the one in Hood River.
The goal is to put under cover half of the park, in which you have a winter activity for the tweeners ages 6 to 25 or so.
The skateboard park in Hood River attracts kids just barely big enough to push a scooter to forty-year-old studs and all ages in between. (Thus the “tweeners.”)
Here are a couple reasons to support it:
1. It gives people in this age range more exercise during the winter, as well as a reason to feel proud of their community, thus diminishing juvenile delinquent behavior. These kids have so much energy, and skateboarding is physically demanding.
2. Skateboarding and bikes have gone mainstream. Skateboarding will continue to be a driving economic force and culture to plug into.
People like longboarder Dean Ozuna are great role models for any of our kids. That was shown by his efforts at repairing the local skate park last week end. This goes a long way in healing any misconceptions of what these “skaters” are all about.
This is my dream. Does anyone have this dream?
J Duff McAndie
Goldendale
Horse owners should learn of Pigeon Fever
To the Editor:
If you own horses or you are around horses, I feel it is your responsibility to educate yourself about Pigeon Fever.
There are many ways to find out about it and I believe it is important because what you do to prevent or manage it will affect any other horses that you own as well as your neighbors.
Pigeon Fever is very contagious.
Find out about prevention, symptoms, treatment of the horse (including what not to do), isolation, duration, treatment of your ground, etc.
We can do things that will have an impact on how this thing migrates. Please take responsibility and do the research.
Lori Stone
Goldendale
Longboarding helped my son and I not fight
To the Editor:
The longboarding community worldwide was mortified to hear what happened at the fairgrounds during Festival of Speed.
I think you can see by the recent skate park project, that behavior was not representative of longboarders in general. I wanted to take a moment of your time to give you a different perspective on the sport.
My 13-year-old son came home about four years ago and announced he wanted a longboard.
Not a skateboard - a “longboard.”
We found a reasonably inexpensive one on eBay that he bought with his own money, and I assumed this latest interest would soon fade.
Time went on and puberty became an issue (to me at least, he seemed oblivious).
At this time last year he and I were so angry with each other we could barely stand to be in the same room.
I began to think if I embraced this sport he had stuck with, perhaps we could find some common ground and ease tensions. Maybe I could use it as a carrot to get him to improve his grades, for instance. Little did I know how much it would change our lives.
I set my networking and research skills in motion and started finding websites and local riders. I read longboard forums and finally decided my preconceptions were unwarranted. The people I was coming in contact with were environmentalists, small business owners, family men, full time students, CPA's, computer programmers, radiologists, graphic artists, and generally positive people. Like any community, you won't always get along with everyone, and there can be the proverbial bad apple.
In our case, the last year we have gotten much closer as a family. I've been able to find him some mentors, he's learned a lot of valuable skills (both life and longboarding), and he has a lot more positive male role models in his life, thanks to the sport.
I'm able to cruise a little bit, he comes to me for advice on his next purchase or to help clean his bearings, my daughter is starting to pick it up, and we have an excuse to travel to some beautiful locations for races. I could go on, but you get the idea.
His grades still aren't where I would like them to be, but we are so much closer now than last year, and most of the behavioral issues are resolved. Between my own selfish enjoyment of watching downhill boarding, and the potential family time ahead of us, I have a vested interest in seeing the sport maintain a positive perception, and be a positive influence.
Thank you for your time, for hosting the Festival of Speed, and for generally being so gracious after our misstep.
Judy Edmondson
Beaverton
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