Costa Mesa kids need a place to...

Costa Mesa kids

need a place to skate

I’m reading regarding the dog park versus the skateboard. I really

believe we have to look at the needs of our children here in this

city. We have a fair-minded City Council. I believe once they realize

the opportunity is there to give the kids something, they will do it.

I see them skateboarding in various places, and it really would be

wonderful if they could have a spot of their own. I think we really,

really need to look at the needs of the kids here in Costa Mesa. They

don’t have a bowling alley anymore. There’s lots of things that have

changed, but this is the hobby of many kids and I think it’s a really

good opportunity for them to have a place. I hope the City Council

really takes note.

JANIE ARNOLD

Costa Mesa

Skate park would fit well in Costa Mesa

Good for Costa Mesa City Councilman Mike Scheafer. I read on these

pages recently that he’s got a scheme to create a skate park in our

fair city.

Costa Mesa is a wonderful place, located in one of the best

climate zones in the world and is replete with almost any amenity one

could desire. Oh, sure, we can’t ice skate anymore -- the Ice Chalet

is history. Same thing with bowling and Kona Lanes. Even without

those forms of indoor recreation, though, there is still plenty to do

here.

Although we don’t have Bob Graham’s 19th Street Bridge yet, we are

still located within minutes of some of the most beautiful harbors

and finest beaches to be found anywhere. In the winter, we can reach

venues for skiing and snowboarding in a couple hours. Within our

borders, we can shop till we drop at the finest stores and enjoy

world-class entertainment at our Performing Arts Center. We have

created a community garden where a few residents can enjoy that

special form of recreation. We have created a Bark Park, where folks

can bring their mutts to socialize and romp with other mutts. We have

created more than two dozen public parks for residents to enjoy,

whether they choose to simply commune with nature, have a picnic,

ride a model train, fly a kite, play soccer, shoot hoops, hit some

fly balls, swing on swings, play tennis, feed ducks or just relax in

the shade of a tree.

But we have not created a skate park for our children.

Almost since the advent of skateboarding and street skating, our

fair city has tried to identify a location for a skate park. So far,

the result of this effort has been a big goose egg -- zero, zip,

nada. For one reason or another -- noise, safety, size, whatever --

no satisfactory location has been identified. Parents seem eager

enough for a skate park to be created for the kids until it shows up

on a plan near their home. Then, attitudes change in a hurry. NIMBY

(not in my back yard) becomes the word of the day. The mobile skate

facility has been provided, but doesn’t come close to meeting the

demand for more durable skating facilities.

Time after time, we have seen young people speak before the City

Council, Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission or at

public workshops to plead their case for a skate facility in our

city. Time after time, we have seen our leaders nod in agreement,

compliment them for their presentations, then go back to business as

usual, which, in the case of skate parks, turns out to be not much at

all.

Last year, two politicians -- lame ducks, as it turned out -- put

their heads together and proposed a location at the Davis School.

Many people jumped aboard that bandwagon, but the plan has apparently

been scrapped because of concern expressed by nearby residents for

the specter of marauding skaters terrorizing their neighborhood en

route to the park. An alternative location near that site at the

corner of Arlington and Junipero drives was considered, but is now

being coveted by the folks representing the Bark Park, so it looks

like the children lose again.

If I were the parent of young children looking for a community in

which to raise them, I wonder how much weight I would give to the

fact that this city continues to give its kids short shrift when it

comes to skate facilities? With 28 parks located within the city

boundaries, it is not unreasonable to think a little space might be

carved out of a couple of them for skating facilities. They don’t

have to be “X-Games” quality, simply a place where kids can burn off

some energy and hone their skills instead of using every stairway,

handrail, planter box and curb in the city as their own personal

grind rails.

For some perspective, we spent the Labor Day holiday in Cambria, a

little burg located on the central coast about midway between San

Francisco and Los Angeles. This is a town of 6,000 permanent

residents with no municipal government nor police force. They have a

community services district which is responsible for sewer, water,

trash pickup and firefighting. What they do have, however, is a skate

park. Their residents were wise enough to recognize the need and act

upon it. By using volunteer labor, donated materials and a very

reasonable lease on a 5,000-square-foot piece of property, they

managed to cobble together a nice little facility for their children

for less than $30,000, all of which was donated. It is located on

their Main Street in one of the busiest locations in their town. It

supports several dozen children every day and is self-policed.

According to representatives of their Community Center, which manages

it, there have been no significant problems with safety or vandalism

-- the highly visible location probably has something to do with

that.

During the election campaigns last year, the need for skate parks

was high on the list of each candidate for City Council. Despite the

fact that the city staff has estimated that we actually need 2.6

skate parks, here we are, 12 months downstream and still no progress

has been made to create even one. I was encouraged when Scheafer gave

us a little tease at the end of a recent City Council meeting,

indicating that he had something in the works regarding skate parks.

The recent article in the Daily Pilot confirmed his intentions. We

sincerely hope he is more successful than his predecessors.

Under the circumstances, the children of this community have shown

remarkable patience. It’s hard for me to believe that the people in

Cambria care more for their children than do the residents of this

wonderful city for theirs. They saw the need and filled it. It is

well past time for the adults in our city to begin showing some

leadership and solve this problem. The kids deserve it.

GEOFF WEST

Costa Mesa

KOCE too valuable to lose to budget problems

KOCE-TV has been a source of pleasure and education for me and my

family for the 20-plus years we have lived here. My nephew, who is a

quadriplegic, took courses available through KOCE. He also went to

Orange Coast College, but could not have completed his required

course work without the help of KOCE.

It is my understanding that due to budget problems, state and

federal, and local economy issues, the station is facing the

possibility of needing to sell the station to a commercial or

religious group. I don’t like that at all. I hope everyone who reads

this lets the board know the value and importance to the community

KOCE holds for all of us. I don’t have their phone number, but you

can write them at Board of Trustees, Coast Community College

District, 1370 Adams Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

ELEANOR KLEIN

Costa Mesa

Castaways Park

perfect for a fast walk

We enjoy using the path through Castaways Park for our speed

walks. We love it the way it is, with natural vegetation!

FRED ARNOLD

and KAREN VOIGT

Costa Mesa