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Tony Hawk advises Hudson on skate park
By Jamie Larson
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
Hudson officials continued to struggle with how best to address concerns over skateboarding and bicycling in the city during Tuesday’s informal meeting of the Common Council.
The ongoing concern about the damage of Warren Street stoops caused by skaters was joined Tuesday, with a call for more safety precautions for the city’s youth in the wake of an accident last Saturday when an 8-year-old girl was struck by a car on Columbia Street. The girl was reportedly not wearing a helmet.
Second Ward Alderman Wanda Pertilla said the accident served as a stark reminder of what she feels is a problem in her ward and the city at large. She said it seems that while helmet laws have been on the books for years children are not wearing them in the city, and parents are apparently not making them.
Pertilla said that while she understands that it would be difficult to ask the Hudson Police Department to add helmet law enforcement to their long list of duties the city needs to do something to protect young bikers, adding that skateboarders should wear protective gear as well.
It was discussed that perhaps the best thing that the city can do is start an education initiative to stress to young people the importance of helmets and riding safely in the city.
Following regulations at the city’s new Oakdale Lake skatepark has become an issue for officials as well. Officials say skaters rarely obey the park’s regulations, not wearing helmets and regularly hopping the four-foot fence to skate after the park is closed. There have also been numerous reports of BMX and motorized bikes using the board only park as well.
Two weeks after the city park, was opened, a ramp was removed from its screws and repositioned so a skater could jump the fence. The park was closed for another week while officials assessed the damage. It was decided after the incident that a city employee would have to be present at the skate park during open hours. This change drastically reduced the amount of time the skatepark is open during the week.
Hudson Mayor Richard Scalera wrote to pro-skater Tony Hawk, who has a foundation in his name to help build community skateparks, to ask for advice and see what potential grant funds may be available for helmets and safety promotion.
Tony Hawk Foundation Program Manager Kirsten Kuhn responded to Scalera’s letter, saying that she felt for the city’s difficulties but applauded officials efforts to supply a place for young residents to skate. She said that positive reinforcement for skaters who wear helmets has been proven to be more effective in getting kids to skate safer then punishments or locking them out of the park. Kuhn said that research has shown that 90 percent of serious skateboarding accidents occur on streets, so the simple act of having an open and available park decreases accidents overall.
Kuhn also said that having older skaters in the park skating safely goes a long way to convince kids to be more responsible. “My suggestion,” Kuhn advised, “would be to convene a group of skaters who helped advocate for the skatepark before it was built, and...ask for their suggestions and involvement in crafting a solution to this problem.”
The ongoing concern about the damage of Warren Street stoops caused by skaters was joined Tuesday, with a call for more safety precautions for the city’s youth in the wake of an accident last Saturday when an 8-year-old girl was struck by a car on Columbia Street. The girl was reportedly not wearing a helmet.
Second Ward Alderman Wanda Pertilla said the accident served as a stark reminder of what she feels is a problem in her ward and the city at large. She said it seems that while helmet laws have been on the books for years children are not wearing them in the city, and parents are apparently not making them.
Pertilla said that while she understands that it would be difficult to ask the Hudson Police Department to add helmet law enforcement to their long list of duties the city needs to do something to protect young bikers, adding that skateboarders should wear protective gear as well.
It was discussed that perhaps the best thing that the city can do is start an education initiative to stress to young people the importance of helmets and riding safely in the city.
Following regulations at the city’s new Oakdale Lake skatepark has become an issue for officials as well. Officials say skaters rarely obey the park’s regulations, not wearing helmets and regularly hopping the four-foot fence to skate after the park is closed. There have also been numerous reports of BMX and motorized bikes using the board only park as well.
Two weeks after the city park, was opened, a ramp was removed from its screws and repositioned so a skater could jump the fence. The park was closed for another week while officials assessed the damage. It was decided after the incident that a city employee would have to be present at the skate park during open hours. This change drastically reduced the amount of time the skatepark is open during the week.
Hudson Mayor Richard Scalera wrote to pro-skater Tony Hawk, who has a foundation in his name to help build community skateparks, to ask for advice and see what potential grant funds may be available for helmets and safety promotion.
Tony Hawk Foundation Program Manager Kirsten Kuhn responded to Scalera’s letter, saying that she felt for the city’s difficulties but applauded officials efforts to supply a place for young residents to skate. She said that positive reinforcement for skaters who wear helmets has been proven to be more effective in getting kids to skate safer then punishments or locking them out of the park. Kuhn said that research has shown that 90 percent of serious skateboarding accidents occur on streets, so the simple act of having an open and available park decreases accidents overall.
Kuhn also said that having older skaters in the park skating safely goes a long way to convince kids to be more responsible. “My suggestion,” Kuhn advised, “would be to convene a group of skaters who helped advocate for the skatepark before it was built, and...ask for their suggestions and involvement in crafting a solution to this problem.”
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uncredulous wrote on Oct 16, 2009 2:52 PM:
is it ok for your headline to lie? cuz there is no mention of tony hawk's advice in your article anywhere.
2/10 you can do better. "