Get A Skatepark In Your Town
This has worked
for hundreds of kids and can work for you too!
1. Organize
a group of skaters, the larger the better. If you can include
bikers and inline skaters you increase your numbers which makes
a big difference to the City.
2. Talk to
your local skate shop and see if they will help you organize and
have meetings in their shop. If you are under 18 you will probably
need an adult to help you organize everything. Good sources are
a local skate shop owner, pro skater, local businessman, Police
Officer or a parent
3. Take petition
forms to your local skate, bike & surf shops and ask the managers
if you can leave the petitions for people to sign. Pick them up
in about 2 or 3 weeks. Take petitions to your schools and get
more signatures. Have your friends & family help you by taking
them to work. When you get the petitions signed make copies of
them. Cities have a way of losing paper work that does not interest
them.
4. Call your
local newspaper and tell them you are trying to get a skatepark.
Ask them if they will cover the story. Invite the reporter to
all your meetings and especially Parks & Rec and City Council
meetings. They will probably want to get some photos of you street
skating. Try and have a diverse group for this and it helps to
have some young skaters too. Readers really feel for the cute
little 6 year old with no safe place to ³skate².
5. Organize
as many skaters & bikers as you can to go to a parks & recreation
meeting and city council meeting. You will need to call city hall
to find out where & when the meetings are. When you get there
you will need to fill out a ³chit² , a small piece of paper with
your name on it, so that you can speak. If you are a good speaker,
go for it, if not just get up and say that you want a skatepark
because there is nowhere to skate. Get as many speakers as you
can! You can keep them there all night listening to you! Give
them a copy of your petition and other facts that we have provided
you with. See if you can get any police to speak on your behalf.
Sometimes there is a youth Officer who will help. We have a list
of police who have helped and they will help your Officer and
share information with him. Let the newspaper know when you are
going to a meeting and beg for coverage. Press coverage will help
you and it will make it difficult for them to ignore your request.
6. Follow
up! Call the city and ask to speak with the parks & rec director.
Remind them of the meeting and ask what is happening. DOG THEM!
You will have to attend other meetings.
7. You should
have a good idea of what is happening now. Hopefully the city
will have assigned someone to work on this project but if you
think that you are in trouble, getting the run around, or just
being played you might want to conside
° staging
a protest - a good place is outside the city hall you will need
to get lots of skaters & friends call your local radio & tv
station and ask them to cover it It is your 1st amendment right
to protest!
° call
us 310.453.7855 or email heidi@spausa.org
and we will help you
It is the
city councilıs job to carry out the wishes of the people in the
community. Remember this. Even if they donıt like skaters they
will have to deal with you. Your biggest asset is numbers. Get
as many people as possible to attend your meetings. We will call
police & city officials if you need help.
Considerations
for Building a Public Park
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