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| PlayGod |
 Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 8:07 pm |
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ORDER OF THE SKULL
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 3882
Location: Dirty South
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For those of you who have not yet subscribed to the Skaters for Public Skateparks newsletter, here's the latest:
Skaters for Public Skateparks
Late Summer Newsletter - September 13, 2005
-> SKATERS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF KATRINA
SPS member Keisha Bentley, long leading the skatepark effort in Russellville, Arkansas, has tirelessly fundraised for the better part of a year and a half. When hurricane Katrina brought devastation to New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast, Keisha and Russellville skaters gladly donated money generated through grass-roots efforts to the survivors of this tragic disaster....money they raised through hard work to build a badly-needed skatepark.
Our hats are off to Keisha and the skateboarders of Russellville, Arkansas. Drop Keisha a note of appreciation if you share our admiration for her selfless commitment to her community:
http://www.skatersforpublicskateparks...profile&u=245
-> SPS VISUAL GLOSSARY (STREET VERSION 1)
Are you a skater who finds it a challenge communicating why a "street" section of a skatepark just doesn't work? Are you a builder trying to figure out exactly what it takes to satisfy "finicky" street skaters? Or are you a city person responsible for learning more about the attributes of a skatepark? SPS's Skate Plaza Tiger Team created the first of coming Visual Glossaries, which you can view at the following web address:
http://www.skatersforpublicskateparks...ssary_street.html
-> SPS FIGHTS TO LEGALIZE STREET SKATING IN TACOMA
Should skateboarding be limited to just skateparks? No. SPS recently demonstrated this, with proper authorization from local officials, by helping to rehabilitate a previously "stoppered" skatespot as part of a skatepark system. Minimal costs, accurate streetscape representation and a quick turnaround time are just the beginning of the benefits. Read more about the successful implementation of this concept in Tacoma, Washington's Thea's Park.
http://www.skatersforpublicskateparks.org/tacoma.html
-> NIMBY REPORT: SKATEPARKS
What impact do skateparks have on neighborhoods? Are they a skater's dream, a homeowner's nightmare, or something else entirely? Aperio Consulting, with rich assistance from SPS, recently preformed an in-depth study of several skateparks, other parks, and the neighborhoods they serve. Here are findings in a well-created report your city will find extremely valuable:
http://www.spsdev.org/TheUrbanGrind-lowres.pdf
-> SKATEPARK MATERIALS GUIDE
The idea of obtaining a skatepark presents cities with many decisions, including which materials to use. In this brochure, SPS lists the advantages and drawbacks to the three most popular forms of skatepark construction.
http://www.skatersforpublicskateparks...erials_guide.html
-> SKATER DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY IN PORTLAND, OREGON
Clearly, your community skatepark intends to serve the needs of local skateboarders, but do you know what those needs are? Parks and recreation professionals may presume to understand what makes a great skatepark, but find out later that their built park falls far short of its potential. This is often worse than not having a skatepark at all, as local skaters are stuck with an expensive experiment that has failed to meet their needs.
As Portland, Oregon moves forward on a council-approved skatepark system with 19 skateparks in the works, SPS conducted a survey to better understand the real needs of the estimated 27,000 skateboarders in the city. Street or tranny? Young or old? Here are their findings:
http://www.spsdev.org/SPS_skate_survey_Portland.pdf
-> OPERATION SKATEPARK DIY: AFGHANISTAN
When you think about skateboarding, you don�t necessarily associate it with places like Afghanistan or Iraq. Yet, there are countless soldiers overseas who have brought their skateboards with them into combat zones. One particular soldier, 20-year-old SPC Lowell Passons of the 173rd Support Battalion, is a mechanic at the airbase in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He is also an avid skateboarder.
Showing true DIY spirit, SPC Passons (of Oklahoma) used available resources to build a portable grind rail from scrap metal at the Battalion motor pool, and tries to skate at least two or three times a week. For a soldier serving in the field, it�s hard to keep the reality of the situation out of mind, but Passons has found a way to keep a little piece of home with him.
To read more about SPC Lowell Passons, check out:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?article=31235�ion=140
If you would like to send a letter of support, you can email him at: [email protected] or if you would like to send the young Specialist a gift, he can be reached at:
Lowell Passons
HHC 173d Support Battalion
AOP AE 09355
-> SPS INTRODUCTION BROCHURE
Care to create a tri-fold brochure, introducing SPS to your city? Click here to download an Acrobat PDF that is print-ready (print and fold; it's ready to go).
http://www.spsdev.org/SPS_intro_brochure_june_2005.pdf
-> FINAL NOTES...
SPS continues to grow! At press-time, we have over 700 members, and SPS Directors and Core Contributors are driving skatepark decisions as Key Role Players in fully 61 cities; representing 67% growth since our summit barely 3 months ago. Wow.
Pass this along if you know anyone in these areas who are skilled enough to help skaters they may never meet...in places they may never travel to. |
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