Skateboarding Saved My Life

Skateboarding, and the diversity of its practicioners, has expansive potential to affect inner city youth. Please enjoy this little clip that shows how Skateboarding positively affected one young man.

Positive Aspect:

The McKee Center's dude, Don, called me the other day, asking if I was interested in helping with the youth leadership programs. (I have a ton of experience and background in that stuff)

Yes.

I'll start an initiative that will get at least one great skatepark built in Northside. Then, I'll be available to work with tons of youth in that skatepark. There, they will discover alternatives in life that they would never have, outside the power of skateboarding to bring together people from all walks of life.

Artists
Accountants
Lawyers
...not too many doctors...

There are skaters who will be there whose lives are easily shared over the waits between runs. The kids of our neighborhood will be exposed to PEOPLE. Good people. there are so many.

Besides that, the facility will be a wide open opportunity for camps and classes!

Think about that and leave comments.

Northside Community Council: April 16th

Here are the notes I spoke from at the council meeting.
A motion to send a letter to the City of Cincinnati, urging them to give "Sector A" to skatepark use, was passed unanimously (with a LOT of members present).


What a Skatepark is:

Concrete

Prominent

Open


Where they go:

Skate-able terrain

Neighborhood SkateParks

World Class City SkatePark

Proper placement for maximum positive impact....



What good they are:

enrichment
-local business (food, gas)
-Neighborhood


popularity and Reputation
-establishment of new levels of commerce (tattoos, Punk Rock, Hip-Hop)



Crime prevention

-a properly placed Skate Presence will run out crime.






OUR PROPOSAL:


"Northside: The First Skate-Friendly Neighborhood in Cincinnati/The Midwest/America/The World"




1. Skate-Able elements/areas incorporated into strategic areas
-American Can
-Children's Park
-Streetscape
-Not marginalizing, but embracing the 40+ year art/sport phenom of skate culture



2. Establishment of a Quality Local Park in "Sector A"
-secure neighborhood
-impact crime
-create great reputation



3. Nurture and Development of Skate Culture/Art in Northside
-Skate Shop
-increase visibility of Northside as a "Skate Mecca"



De-marginalizing Skateboarding in Cincinnati, starting in Northside, can't help but enrich our community way beyond the costs.





Practical Action Points for Northside Community council:

1. N-Side CC to get behind it and push!
-guide fund raising
-press
-politics

understand value versus cost:
Positive
supportive
"can-do" attitude


2. Secure Sector A




3. Interface effectively with CRC.

We want this.

We don't buy into the "Liability" misunderstanding.

We push through "conservinertia".



Thanks to every member who voted (unanimously) for Sector A to be given to SkatePark use. We know that the city will hear you, and we will soon (=er or later) have a great park for the betterment of our youth and community.

Skatepark Profile: Sessions

Skatepark Profile: Louisville, KY

Here's what you get when a city awakens to the potential of skateboarding: a world class park, downtown, incorporated into the banks project. Awaken, O mighty giant Cincinnati!

SkatePark Profile: Florence, KY