In an article in the Express-Times (read it here) it was reported that Nazareth Borough has earmarked $30,000.00 in next year's budget for a Skate Park.
This project was discussed throughout the spring and summer. The money is from impact fees and must be used for recreation purposes.
Read other articles about the Skate Park here.
11 comments:
I don't know how to feel about this. To date, the Nazareth police have basically told the boro skaters to stay out of the business district and they will leave them alone. This has effectively chased these kids into certain sections of the residential district.
I am willing to go along with the skate park IF the borough now restricts these kids to that venue. I don't even mind if they skate on the sidewalks as long as they are headed to the skate park or home. The loitering type of skating annoyance has to cease though.
I am willing to go along with this even though I feel it is council throwing a bone to Jack Herbst because his kid is an avid skater. It kind of reminds me of when Carol Lee Fry was on the school board and athletic committee mainly to lobby for her husband to get the boys basketball job at the HS. We all know how that turned out for Mr. Sponge Bum, Wedgie Pants.
Mr. Herbst, I guess this is council's consolation prize for allowing them to build the Essroc conveyor behind your house.
Funny, I know EXACTLY how to feel about this: vindicated. Speaking as a young person who grew up in Nazareth, I can tell you that very often there is a feeling that the adults in the town would much rather the youth just disappeared. Being unwanted is a pretty lousy feeling, and when you mix it with natural teenage angst, it can make for a miserable time. This is one of the first pieces of evidence I've seen beyond the Nazareth Area Youth Assets Initiative (where something like this was actually discussed, and where the youth of the town had a voice) that Nazareth wants its young people around. And that makes me pretty darn happy.
The adults in Nazareth do want the kids around - they would just prefer that you do something productive. Not damage property, litter, loiter, curse, and make a general nuisance of yourselves.
I do blame the adults of the community, however, because the recreation dollars are very poorly spent. Too much of it is earmarked for the Nazareth Community Weekend and not enough for recreation for younger folks.
Hopefully, you will be one of the smart ones who got out and stays away. I bought into the "Great Schools" hype a few years back and now my kids are too ingrained to uproot them. My main piece of advise when they settle down is to aim higher than this place.
This topic poses some questions.......
How many skateboard enthusiasts are there? 20? 30? 50?
$30,000 doesn't go very far if no other individuals or communities contribute.
How many individuals (skateboarders included) will roll up their shirtsleeves and volunteer some free labor?
Where will this park be built? in the borough park ----almost outside borought limits? Or, in town----at one of the playgrounds such as Nazareth Hall Park?
When will the NIMBY mentality kick in/
*smiles* Anonymous, you're talking to someone who worked very hard to get out of Nazareth. I was a National Merit Scholarship and now attend Oberlin College in Ohio, and I've come to realize now more than ever that I am what I am thanks to the pressures Nazareth put on me. While I am happy with what they made me, I'm concerned about the effects they have on a lot of Nazareth youth.
For example, there's a sort of nasty circular logic involved with the cursing and damaging of property. The youth feel unwanted, so they act out. This causes the adults to not want them around, which makes the youth feel unwanted, and they act out... It's going to take some large changes to break this cycle, and I'd like to think that a gesture like this from the community might be a step along that path. It's especially welcome from the point of view of someone like me; even though I don't skateboard (my pursuits tend more toward the paper-and-ink-related), I've seen youth asking for this in so many words for at least three years, and wordlessly for many before that. It's nice to know that someone is listening.
One final point. While I used to think that I wanted nothing more than to get out of Nazareth and never come back, I've come to believe that I have a responsibility to come back at least for a while and see what improvements I can effect. While I can certainly understand your "aim higher" advice, it does perpetuate Nazareth's shortcomings because no one is doing anything to change them.
Blah, that should read National Merit Scholar, not National Merit Scholarship. This is why not to post at 3:30 in the morning.
Sorry about the extra post.
The questions you ask are good ones, and ones I've considered as well.
My first thought when this issue arose was for the money how many people will be served?
After some thought, though, I decided that individuals interested in skating are not different than those interested in other sports, except there is no league or facilities to support them. So if it can be done and the money must be spent, ok, even though its not my cup of tea.
Saturday, though, I saw two kids, about twelve, cutting through my neighbors yard pushing a bike. And I had to wonder if a skate park were available and it was at the borough park, would they walk from the south east end to the north to use it?
My guess is no. A skate park, I think, will only serve these kids if it is located in a convenient location and this limits us as you say to places like Hall Park and the other smaller community parks.
Maybe there is space off south end of Green Street by those fields, which wouldn't be too far from the new police station for a skate park, but I'm afraid as you say once sites become an issue there will be push back from local residents.
There are more challenges ahead than just money on this one.
Thanks to all for the comments and thoughts.
While I personally don't get the whole skater thing, I think it is a great idea that we give those who do the appropriate outlet for doing it instead of on sidewalks and other pedestrian locations. After all, there are soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields, etc. Just because these are what most people would consider traditional sports doesn't mean we should disregard a portion of the population because we either don't like or get what they do.
From what I have seen at other skate parks, they do tend to get the majority of the kids off the areas where they shouldn't be, so that is a definite plus. From a cost perspective, I would love to know from the Nazareth PD how much time a year is spent dealing with kids skating where they shouldn't be. That in itself is worth it to me if they can focus on real police work and not have to chase kids skating.
As for the first poster on this topic, your opinions regarding the skate park specifically are welcome. Your personal attack against specific individuals should be taken up with them directly and not used to polute this space. We are all here to exchange ideas and opinions about the topics posted, not to used it to air personal grudges. Please keep it civil.
Thanks to the last reader for reminding everyone to keep this constructive. While it may be pertinent to disclose a relationship, it probably does the argument more harm than good to personally attack.
I sure don't want this space to look like the political ads we've all been bombarded with lately!
A skating park is of no personal interest to me or my family - unless I can get skates on my dog :) But many kids enjoy it and need a place to skate other than streets and sidewalks. I believe a responsibility of every community is to provide resources to promote economic growth and safe, healthy living. Personally, I'd like to see a paved walking / biking trail thoughtout the county. This would provide wide use for old and young, singles and families.
Thank The Lord
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