Dateline: January 24, 2002

Local boys lead charge to build city skate park  

Carrie Helms, Clarendon Enterprise

For the last two and a half weeks while other sixth graders were watching TV or eating an afternoon snack, Stormie Garrison, Austin Howard, and Michael Brooks were collecting signatures for a petition to present at next month’s City Council meeting.

A classroom assignment in Jamie Ward’s English class inspired them to start a petition to get a skating park in Clarendon.

“We were studying persuasive writing in Mrs. Ward’s class and had to write a pretend letter to the mayor,” Garrison said.  “We decided to try it for real.”

The boys have been avid skaters for several years, but lately this pastime has gotten them into trouble.

“The best place to skate right now is downtown,” Brooks said, “but some people have complained.”

They have tried to find other places to roller blade, but as the scrapes and bruises tell, none has been found.

“Kids need a smooth surface away from traffic and out of the way of businesses,” Howard said. “The pavement is too rough, and it is hard to keep control with all the vibrations.”      

The boys think they have found the perfect location.

“Across from the [City Park] by the Texas Saddlery is an empty lot,” Brooks said. “Families could go together, and the older kids could skate while the younger ones played across the street.”

The plan the boys have thought up consists of a 25x50 foot oval slab of concrete with benches around the outside of a four-foot wall.

“It would be like a skating rink but with small ramps for jumping,” Garrison said.  “There could even be walking trails and bike paths for adults.”

They are convinced there is nothing safer.

“We would have plenty of adult supervision and safety regulations,” Brooks said.  “The jumps would not be so high that they would be dangerous.”

So far, they have collected more than 130 signatures, but they have encountered a few doubters.

“It would be really funny if three junior high kids could make something like this happen,” Garrison said.  “I want this to happen so much so I can show all those who said it couldn’t be done.”