*** Oil Dumped On New Skate Park ***

East Wenatchee, Washington -- 08/04/2010


Photo - Ryan Winn, foreground, and other Eastmont Metro
Parks District workers on Tuesday clean up oil spilled on
the new skate park in Kenroy Park in East Wenatchee.

Eastmont parks officials continue work today to clean off gallons
of motor oil that were dumped Monday night on a new skateboard
area at Kenroy Park.

David Schwab, director of the Eastmont Metro Parks District,
estimated that 3 to 5 gallons of motor oil were dumped on the
park’s concrete skate ramps, flat areas, bench and other obstacles.

Dan Reierson, assistant chief of East Wenatchee Police, said this
morning that an officer has been assigned to investigate the vandalism.

The $80,000 skate park opened July 24 at the corner of North
James Avenue and 8th Street Northeast. It was built entirely
with donations and volunteer labor as a collaborative effort of
the nonprofit Community for Wenatchee Valley Skate Parks
and Eastmont parks.

Young skaters have flocked to the park daily.

“It’s very disheartening. You can’t imagine why anyone would do
that anyway,” said Mike Leeds, founder of the nonprofit. “I just
wonder how people could be so hateful.”

Schwab said parks crews absorbed the standing oil Monday.
They applied a chemical to soak up some more and then pressure
washed the park with a biodegradable detergent, but oil stains
remain. District employees said Tuesday that they’ll continue
working on the park today.

The skate area remains closed today for continued cleaning.
Schwab said the cleanup could cost in excess of $500.


Photo - An Eastmont Metro Parks District crew on Tuesday cleans up
oil spilled on the new skate park in Kenroy Park in East Wenatchee.

“It seems that nobody’s ever happy with anything,” Schwab said of
the vandalism. “And this is a way for people to let you know they’re
displeased with what you’ve done. In this case, it’s an interest group.”

He added “Ninety-five percent of the kids out there are having a great
time. They’re a bunch of happy people. I saw a dad out there with his
three kids and they were all booted up with elbow and knee pads. He
was teaching his kids how to skate. It just takes a small number of
individuals who don’t care or don’t like the group.”

Both Schwab and Leeds said they don’t know who spread the oil.
Leeds has posted on ******** that he’d offer a modest reward to
information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the vandals.

“Obviously, it isn’t skateboarders who put oil on their own park,”
said Leeds, himself a lifelong skateboarder who skates with his kids.

Leeds, of Wenatchee, has made a personal project of educating
the public about skaters and the need for more skate parks.

“My intention is to give back to the community and give kids a safe,
legal place to skate — for whole families,” he said. “This (the damage)
certainly doesn’t make me not want to proceed with future projects.”

CC - Wenatchee World.
07/29/2010 - Kenroy Skate Park Gets Rolling.
ACC - http://www.genesbmx.com/WenatcheeSkatePark.html#Kenroy
* http://www.genesbmx.com/Eastern-Washington-Skate-Parks.html

Gene`s BMX Quotes:
It is not to surprising to see vandalizm after the new skate park
was added in to a park with an unwelcoming neighborhood. This
is sad to see, but skate parks do target vandalizm everywhere in
the USA. Vandalizm also gives a community a reason to remove
a skate park. Vandalizm was a reason the Cashmere Skate Park
was removed. Hopefully this vandalizm at the new skate park does
not go that fare. Hope this can be cleaned up and skaters can skate.