Skate Park

[Bobby J]

SJ and others,
I do really appreciate the cons. I also use these boards to help myself understand what I may be up against. We live in a sue happy world! That seems to be the biggest obstacle. I bet Joseph Eddie will have our backs on this one! I hear he loved to skate! BTW, SJ I just got a new longboard for the flat lands! Love it! These old bones do not like to fall on concrete either. I actually skate holding Brody around the hood!

 

[SGB]

Here's an article about Eddy and his mom's, (Jacqueline Parks) lawsuit. http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/6962/1

 

[Diane4145]

The young man's name is Joseph Eddy and he was a very good friend of my son, Blake's, for many years. They all loved to skate, it was such a passion, for all of them! What a tragedy, for Jo's family and friends! I remember Blake taking his new son, Jake, to see her. From what I hear, it really meant alot, seeing Blake and his little boy! Blake would be extremely interested in involvement, with a skate park development! I look forward to staying on top, of this situation!

For those interested in pursuing a skate park - there is some money available for the skate park. I wish I could remember the man's name, but some of you probably do... The mother of the young man that died in a car accident on 30A in front of Redfish Village a few years ago sued the builder and some of the contractors and won more than $1M. At the time she won the suit, she said she was going to donate some of the money (I think $250K) to building a skate park in the area since it was one of her son's passions. Sounds like a good place to start. There was also a group of people that were trying to get a county skate park about a year ago. I remember reading an article in the Walton Sun. Just please don't take away any of the land that is currently slated for other recreational purposes that are desperately needed! I still can't believe we don't have a community pool for swim lessons!

 

[swantree]

I understand the need for "usual sports" being a huge soccer fan and player in my youth I love it and want my kids to be part of that scene. My question to the need would be demographic in nature. if we were to make those such sports come first would we have the population to support teams to play? would we be forced to travel to other teams? what vs. a skateboard and some pads is one family willing to put out for costs? is field maintanance over time more costly than that of a skate park? and my final thought is.....we should ask the kids who will/would be using these facilities. what would they like to see? they are not mutes they have voices and they will tell us exactly what we should be doing! I agree that we tend to be out of touch with what is popular and that for all we know skate is not as popular as skee-ball but untill we really ask the local's and get a feel for it then we are all just speculating for not!
but I would love to see a skate park and a pool. need to teach those kids to be strong swimmers near a large body of water with rip tides.

 

[Smiling JOe]

I've seen plenty of skaters around here, and not any skee-ballers. Just wanted to throw out my observations from the man-on-the-street perspective.

I thought the local teams already traveled out of the area to play sports. Looking at the SoWal 2007 Football and Volleyball schedule, I see that the teams travel to Chipley, Pensacola, Vernon, Baker, Northview (isn't that Dothan, AL?), Carabelle (which is east of Apalachicola), and Wewah (in that same area), to name a few. Surely, kids can skate AND play football. It isn't like skating has a season.

I agree that skater kids should be asked what they want to have at the skate park, but I will also point out that we must consider what they have seen. If they never skated at a skate park, they might not have a clue of the types of things commonly offered at other skate parks.

 

[Minnie]

Minnie, all of the sports you listed are supervised to a large degree. Most parents are with their kids in a playground to watch their children

My point was that supervision does not necessarily make any facility safe; be it a skate park or your neighborhood playground. Regardless if a parent is with a child at the playground, injuries still happen, yet playgrounds are still being built regardless of the liability.

If you truly want to have an outside play environment that is free from the possiblity of an injury you will have to keep the kids at home.

 

[Mango]

Taken from 2000 statistics of sports related injuries SAFE KIDS Campaign which lists stats for children 5-14. There does not appear to be any statistics for over 14. The study is 8 years old. I know my 6 year old nephew is not allowed on a skateboard yet. He rides a scooter with 3 wheels and a helmet.

1. Although death from a sports injury is rare, the leading cause of death from a sports-related injury is a brain injury.
2. Almost 50 percent of head injuries sustained in sports or recreational activities occur during bicycling, skateboarding, or skating incidents.
3. Sports-related injury severity increases with age
4. More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities

 

[Bobby J]

I really do not feel liability is an issue here. The law says gross negligence. That would be the only way one could sue. So the "problem" would have to be identified, reported, documented and then not fixed. An injury on a skate park due to a crack in concrete does not qualify as gross negligence. "Gross negligence" is tough to prove.

I have been a little tied up dealing with a sick child but will start returning calls on this issue as soon as possible. I am amazed at all the support.
If the county can get past the "supposed liability" issue and we may be able to fund it, I wonder what the hang up would be?

 

[Bobby J]

1. More severe injuries occur during individual sports and recreational activities

I would think statistically speaking more people are involved in individual sports.

 

[Bobby J]

Not really sure what you all are so worried about.....