Readers Respond -- Skateboarding discussion continues

Thanks for all of the Daily Pilot articles on skateboarding. It’s

possibly getting the ball rolling in the right direction. I think it

would be great if Newport-Mesa could come up with a park bigger and

better than all the rest, being as how we are getting started a little

late.

I still like the idea of having one at the foot of the Balboa Pier.

With the Fun Zone and all, it would be a great location. Take a portion

of the grass that’s sitting empty most of the time and put it to good

use.

Thanks for your forum.

PEGGY MAROTTA

Balboa Island

Recently, we were reminded of our opposition to skateboard parks as we

attempted to drive down Margaret Drive near Newport Harbor High School.

Sitting in the middle of the road, blocking the street, were six to eight

skateboarders. When asked politely to move from blocking the public

street, they did not move. Our understanding is that this is where they

often sit. The parents of these children must know they are sitting in

the middle of the street. They don’t control them there. Why would any

citizen feel that these children and those with the same poor attitude

would do any better at a skateboard park?

Here is a quote from a recent article from the Washington Post about

the tragic killings at Santana High School in Santee, where the alleged

teenage killer Charles “Andy” Williams was said to have “frequented the

skate park where kids from the high school used to hang out and get

high.” It continues, “Drugs were readily available for those who wanted

them: marijuana, mushrooms, acid, speed. And even young teens would get

drunk on the weekends.”

If Costa Mesa or Newport Beach allows any sort of organized skateboard

activity in one location, there will be a gathering of skateboard types,

an unknown number of which will use the facility and surrounding area to

plan their parties, play their music, smoke their dope, further organize

their gangs and negatively influence younger skateboarding innocents.

Further, skateboarders could cause taxpayer liability by falling on their

heads or killing and injuring each other in gang fights. Don’t get us

wrong, we are sure that somewhere in the cities of Newport Beach or Costa

Mesa there must be polite skateboarders. It’s just that we haven’t come

across them yet.

The number of skateboarders who would use a skateboard park in either

Newport Beach or Costa Mesa has never been surveyed. The cost of

providing a skateboard park and the untold public liability, danger,

speeding cars and noise could never be justified given the relatively

small number of users. We need to continue to provide and increase the

soccer, baseball, basketball and other park activities that are safe and

that appear to involve youth and adults who have a better attitude and

upon whom it is a pleasure to provide taxpayer support.

LU AND DIANA WALKER

Costa Mesa