You bet your booties it was....everyone was in favor of it....just not in their back yard or their favorite place.
Nobody wanted the little thuggy drug dealing dope smoking devil worshipping profanity shouting juvenile delinquity loose blue jeans wearing long haired boom box listening girly men, anywhere that people could see them. (I say that tongue-in-cheek for those who do not understand irony or black humor, or facetiousness)
....uhhh but as a Park Board we were obligated to provide recreational opportunities for ALL, and we did, and I believe, would do it again...
I remember a petition going around before the park was built, one lady that was involved with the petition stated that it would be too much noise coming from the skate park everytime there was a concert or something going on.. I just looked at her and asked if there was any noise coming from the pool, and walked away. What ever happened with that petition anyway? Not sure if I remember hearing much about it.
I remember that petition too...up close and personally. Eventually, one of the families involved was so unhappy with the PB decision to complete the skate park in Harmon that they filed a lawsuit against the PB and two private individuals on various claims. I believe some depositions have finally been taken and hopefully a trial date will be set soon. Since the filing of the suit, costs to the Park District have been covered by the ND Insurance Fund (our tax dollars at work), and I really, really, really, hope it is over soon so we can get some closure.
I think the youth of Williston need more things to do. The skate park was a wonderful idea. Yeah sure, they could get hurt, but they are kids. I'm sure all of you have all had an unfortunate accident involving the bar on a boys bicycle (I always wondered why they didn't just make all the bikes like the "girl" ones) LOL. It is a better alternative then driving around on country roads and drinking. Think about it, there are no arcades, no rollar skating rinks, NOTHING! All the parks even have to be up to "code": rubber or sand under all the playground equipment, the stupid plastic piece so you can't swing to high, no whoop section on the, now plastic, slides, no merry-go-rounds.....etc.... BORING! We lived through it and had fun being kids. I'm sure some idiot will sue the skate park and that will be gone too. Let's just pass a few more laws and make EVERYTHING illegal, that way no one has to be responsible for anything. We should maybe cut down all the trees as well, then we will be sure no child will fall out and get hurt.
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"We must be the change we wish to see in the world" M. Gandhi
I remember a petition going around before the park was built, one lady that was involved with the petition stated that it would be too much noise coming from the skate park everytime there was a concert or something going on.. I just looked at her and asked if there was any noise coming from the pool, and walked away. What ever happened with that petition anyway? Not sure if I remember hearing much about it.
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My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master.
ahhhh.....it's all copacetic...I guess I am still just a little thin-skinned on that one.
Bottom line is that it is a premier facility; gets used a LOT, and is all that we had hoped it would be, and none of the gloom-and-doomers predictions have come true three or four years later....
Hate to sound a little terse....but I was there, and the "City" God love 'em
didn't do much to help. It was the Williston Park Board and a small group of adults from the community, and a considerable force of the kids that got er done. Most of the politicos stayed way the heck away from it...
;o)
Oops... I meant P&R, not the city.
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Dr. Johnson
SKM said it, there were alot of teens that pulled together and did a fantastic job working with the city to build a fantastic recreational facility. What a great effort by both parties with the research, design, and holding ground amongst all the neighborhood protests. Quite the amazing and inspirational feat if you ask me.
Hate to sound a little terse....but I was there, and the "City" God love 'em
didn't do much to help. It was the Williston Park Board and a small group of adults from the community, and a considerable force of the kids that got er done. Most of the politicos stayed way the heck away from it...
SKM said it, there were alot of teens that pulled together and did a fantastic job working with the city to build a fantastic recreational facility. What a great effort by both parties with the research, design, and holding ground amongst all the neighborhood protests. Quite the amazing and inspirational feat if you ask me.
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Dr. Johnson
Well, Jib it sounds like you did have something to do with the skate park being built. They didn't build it when you asked but you planted the seed. And now look, your efforts were not fruitless. I remember hating it when kids would come rushing past me on those boards, about gave me a heartattack everytime! Ha, ha,ha! We don't have that anymore. Well, we may have kids on boards skating down to and from the park but they're not riding the store fronts like they used to. I also think is a perfect location. If they get "bored" they can go swim or grab a cone at DQ. (sorry about the pun. I just had to) So Kudos on the Skate Park!
Another point on the skate park. I know a lot of people do not like the location of the skate park.
The location of the skate park is THE best place a park could be built in Williston, right in the middle of town where it is accessible to everyone, and showcase how amazing of a park it is. I remember when I was in high school trying to convince the city to listen to us about building a skate park. When they wouldn't listen we just built our own inside the old Pheasant Run trailer park.
The skate park in town is a damn nice park... no matter what city it's located in.
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"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Dr. Johnson
Summer of 2006 I flew a skate board team in from Denver to put on a show, It was a lot of fun. The guys from Denver thought we had an excelent skate park for a town our population.
Another point on the skate park. I know a lot of people do not like the location of the skate park.
The other location that was considered was Davidson Park. I am not sure how many people know this but there is a huge aquafer that runs underneith Aafedt Stadium and Davidson Park. It also runs underneith the parking lot at Econmart (remember how bad that used to be, with the ground heeving). I can not say this for sure would have happened, but it would not have been a good thing to build a concrete skate park above an aquafer only to have the ground heeve and crack all of the pavement.
excellent point Jeremy....one we discussed during the planning stages....everyone knew that the old lockers at Aafedt Stadium have been under water for a long time....also the committee determined that a potential Davidson Park site would have still put us closer to nearby neighbors than the eventual site did...and nearness to homes was a big issue. Another point was that the inevitable noise associated with a skate park might at some point have conflicted with the High School tennis games which would be played nearby the 1st choice site and we were trying to avoid that, while the noise from the swimming pool was and is, much louder, so the two noisy places cancel each other out. In addition to that, we were trying to reserve space in Davidson Park for future development. Harmon Park was, at that time anyway, way under-utilized. For all the Lurkers out there, believe me...the PB and Skate Park Committee and all those involved in its inception and completion did the homework and it took well over three years just to get the planning, etc done.
Summer of 2006 I flew a skate board team in from Denver to put on a show, It was a lot of fun. The guys from Denver thought we had an excelent skate park for a town our population.
Another point on the skate park. I know a lot of people do not like the location of the skate park.
The other location that was considered was Davidson Park. I am not sure how many people know this but there is a huge aquafer that runs underneith Aafedt Stadium and Davidson Park. It also runs underneith the parking lot at Econmart (remember how bad that used to be, with the ground heeving). I can not say this for sure would have happened, but it would not have been a good thing to build a concrete skate park above an aquafer only to have the ground heeve and crack all of the pavement.
I sure don't want to spoil anyone's fun. Look at today's Herald, there's the picture of Cole McFarlane doing the rail. He looks like he's having fun. I can't help, though, seeing the potential for numerous injuries. My question is, who is liable in case of accident? Is there a sign or signs stating such there at the park?
There is supposed to be a disclaimer. I have not read the entire sign. There is a potential for numerous injuries just walking out your front door. It's a matter of perspective.
That "immense concrete bunker" as referenced by the attorney who represents a family in their ongoing lawsuit against the Park Board, and a couple of private individuals, also sometimes known as "Waitman's Folly", is a premier skatepark facility and meets and/or exceeds every standard, and every criteria required for such a facility.
I sure don't want to spoil anyone's fun. Look at today's Herald, there's the picture of Cole McFarlane doing the rail. He looks like he's having fun. I can't help, though, seeing the potential for numerous injuries. My question is, who is liable in case of accident? Is there a sign or signs stating such there at the park?
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"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt
) So Kudos on the Skate Park! 
