April 26, 2007

On a recent warm afternoon Andrew Morris, (top and bottom photos) and Reed Huston, below right, perfected their skateboarding moves at the skatepark near the Bryan Center. The center needs repairs and expansion, according to the local young people who use it frequently, and they are seeking donations in time and money from the community.

By Tara Miller

It’s spring, and near Bryan Center, you can hear the swooshing sound of kids honing their skills riding a wooden board atop four little wheels. It’s the skatepark, and as spring turns into summer, it’s a popular destination for local young people.

But according to those who use it the most, the skatepark needs some help. Built in 2000 out of steel tubing and plywood, the park now has rust on the tubing and much of the plywood has split and warped. On a recent weekend Cole Honeycutt, 13, said there are holes in the plywood and that much of the wood needs to be replaced. Once the plywood is replaced, the new wood will need to be protected.

And local skateboarders would also like to see some improvements. Specifically, according to Andrew Morris, 16, they want to raise the ramps, add a half pipe and maybe a bubble. Currently the park has a mini ramp, a kicker, a pyramid, a quarter pipe and bank, a bar (also called a rail), and a box.

Some also dream of expanding the park, possibly into the tennis courts. “We don’t want to move the park, and that’s the rumor,” Morris said. “And we don’t want to take the playground, that’s for little kids.”

To do all of these things, the young people need money, and they are trying to raise it. So far they have raised $400, and they would appreciate donations of either money or time, according to Morris.

Morris believes the Yellow Springs skate park is good for the town. Many local youth skate. And skaters from Cedarville, Fairborn and Dayton use the park, so it is a draw for visitors.

Last summer several local skateboarders, including Morris, attended a Village Council meeting to express their concerns with the park’s deterioration. In attendance at the meeting was Paul Abendroth. In a recent interview, Abendroth said he was impressed with the way the young people addressed Council and explained their needs. He plans on helping them out, and believes it to be a good project. “Kids lead me in interesting ways,” he said.

The skateboarders also have the support of fellow skater and comedian Dave Chappelle. Morris said Chappelle wants to help them out. “He’s a skater,” Morris said. “He gave me my board.”

Skaters are a close and supportive group. Observing the skaters present recently, a reporter could see them watch each other perform feats and offer advice and encouragement. Reed Huston, 11, said Morris had helped him out a lot and he has learned many things. Huston has been skating since he was eight and he uses the park almost daily, he said, as do many of the others, perfecting feats such as the roast beef body burial to tail stall, the one-footed blunt stall, and the hand plant.

To contribute to the skate park, contact Jillyanna Morris at 767-2250.