Kelly Street Skate Park Improvements: Seeking PYRAMID Donations!

Dear Coastside Skaters,

Here’s the story of why we need money to build a pyramid and fix up the Kelly Street-Cunha Skate park.

The Kelly Street skatepark was built in the mid-90’s with the spirited efforts of Colleen Granahan and the funding of the Boys and Girls Club. The ramps were fabricated by Ramptech. I don’t know how much the whole park cost back then, but to replace just the pyramid today would cost $20k.

Some 15 years later, in the summer of 2008, the City of Half Moon Bay had to remove some elements, including the pyramid, due to natural wear and tear, but they patched the half-pipe, and it still functions today (although we should start to save for a complete resurfacing). $18k was spent at that time.

The park began to be used less and less. Garbage began to collect. Helmets were a constant issue for the police.

By early 2009 several local people interested in fixing up the park began to gather around the name “Skate the Coast.” A few weekends were spent raking up garbage and taming hip-high weeds. Silvestre DeLeon has kept the park mowed and has taken the garbage to the dump for the last six months. Allied Waste should soon be resuming their responsibility of the garbage. Sunrise Painting painted the ramps to make them look better and slow the natural rot of wood. Helmets have been provided by Bikeworks/Kelly Street Skate. Several local skaters (raised as kids on this park when it was new!) have come back to coach the younger generation in the natural course of their own skating. Shawn Rhodes of Nor-Cal has started a skate team in Pacifica, CORE has a skate team in Santa Cruz. The HMB Surf Club has had huge success creating a parent-led group that demands high academic standards of its extreme athletes … our little park could be a jewel of a street park, and a positive culture for kids, with a little money, time and love.

It all starts with the pyramid (flat-top, 3 ‘ high, 16’ x 20’ perimeter; major launch element). I know plywood and 2x4s don’t cost $20k. I watch “Built to Shred”. I built cabinets from Time-Life books. I thought we could build a pyramid ourselves for a couple grand.

Well, first I had to get permission from the city and school and Boys and Girls Club to even think about it. Then, I had to find an architectural engineer (Ty Drake) to draw up plans. At this point, I’m thinking they haven’t seen “Built to Shred” ;-) Now I needed a permit. No contractor would consider the potential liability, but one of them suggested I take out a permit as a homeowner and that has worked. All that took a year.

Now, we need money. We need:

$3,000 to build a workable pyramid with a plywood sheathing and metal tranny.

+ add another $3,200 and we can sheath it Skatelite.

= $6,200 total

To collect money you usually need to set up non-profit status. But, I don’t want the kids to wait any longer, soooo….

I have set up a separate bank account in my name so I can START COLLECTING MONEY NOW. I will copy every check and keep Quicken records of income and expenses to build this pyramid. I’m planning on building the pyramid after the first of the year. I will put up the money for the plywood-sheathed version of the pyramid and if donations come pouring in and I am paid back, and if there is enough for the Skatelite, then I will order the Skatelite.. I can’t wait to see the kids launching in JANUARY, even if it is just plywood. If the Skatelite donations come in later months, we will replace the plywood with Skatelite when we have the money. Should there be any extra money, it will go to resurfacing the existing ramps, especially the half pipe - the next fundraising campaign. BTW Skatelite costs $178/sheet. We also have a team in place to build more elements, if you throw more money at us! Note, the City of HMB and the Boys and Girls Club are not affiliated with the collection and expenditure of this money.

Make checks payable to Michelle Dragony.

Write “Pyramid” or “Skate the Coast” in the memo section.

You can leave your check at BikeWorks/Kelly Street Skate,

or mail to P.O. Box 608, HMB, CA 94019.

Thanks,

Michelle Dragony,

Skate the Coast

December 24, 2009

P.S. Yes, we are also the people who would like to build a 15,000-foot skatepark on the mid-coast somewhere, but let’s see if we can build a pyramid, first!

Michelle Dragony can be reached at mdragony@comcast.net Let us know what you think.

HMB Candidate addresses the Skatepark

Half Moon Bay candidate for city council George Hoelzel mentioned his concerns for the Kelly Ave Skatepark when he was recently asked about coastside active parkland. See Below. Spread the word and cast your vote accordingly.

What are your thoughts regarding creating active park land on the Coast?

The skateboard park on Kelly Street. What a disgrace. We need better for our youth here in HMB and for all youth on the coastside. If the day comes that I’m elected, our skateboard park will be updated.

Kelly Ave Helmet Policy

The city of Half Moon Bay has contacted us to reiterate their stance on the Kelly Ave helmet policy. We'd like to pass it along here:

"Effective immediately, if any person (regardless of age) is seen inside the skateboard park with a skateboard in their possession and not wearing a helmet, everyone will be asked to leave and the skateboard park will be closed (locked) for the day and reopened the next morning. In addition, no bicycles are allowed the skateboard park at any time. When school starts this September, we will be issuing citations to all persons in violation of the ordinance."

Missing Elbow Pad $245 fine

Courtesy Newport Mesa Daily Voice: (Please support AB874!)
Jeff Westermann, 34, who builds skate ramps for Pro SK8 Ramps, frequents Volcom Skate Park in Costa Mesa regularly. He received his "courtesy notice" on Sat., Aug. 8 from Harbor Court in Costa Mesa regarding a ticket he received for not wearing one elbow pad while skating the park on Friday, July 17 at 2 p.m. A ticket for skateboarding without kneepads or elbow pads in Costa Mesa incurs a $245 fine!

Here's Jeff's account of the day ....

I was wearing my helmet, knee pads and 1 elbow pad. I wasn't skating when the cops showed up. One of the officers kept egging me on to get in there and skate while the park was empty, due to the fact the entire park was getting tickets for no pads. I finally put on all my pads (except the missing elbow pad that I left there weeks prior) and took 1/2 lap through the street course when this "Napoleon syndrome cop" came running over yelling for me to exit the park immediately. it looked like a SWAT or Narcotics Raid on the Volcom skatepark. They circled the place from every angle with six cop cars and two police SUV's to block off all escape attempts.

He was writing the ticket before he reached my location outside the gate! This guy wanted to establish his authority right away by asking me my age and escorting me directly in front of the signage outside the park and asked me if I could read [the rules and regulations]. After that, he told me I was a "bad influence" and what a "bad example" I was showing the young skaters (after I handed my old helmet to a local kid minutes before!) Let's just say that I had a few choice words for him after that but held my cool.... sort of... My infraction is a violation of CMMC - 12 - 57 (b) - skating without elbow pads/knee pads. About 10 or 12 kids received citations that day.

The very next morning I went to the tennis pro shop located next to the skatepark for a Gatorade and the guy working behind the counter told me he was watching the entire thing and could't believe what a raw deal I got. He also mentioned they pulled three of those raids that day!

Editor's Note:
This kind of fine could make a skateboarder go somewhere else and possibly damage private property. Jeff is to appear at Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach on or before August 28 at 8:15 a.m. He plans on pleading not guilty. If he requests a court trial be set regarding the citation, he has to pay the bail amount at the time he requests a trial. We'll keep you updated on what occurs.

Foster City to get Skatepark

City approves skate park’s construction
August 04, 2009,08:53 AM Bill Silverfarb

Councilman Art Kiesel sided with two of his colleagues last night to approve the construction of a skate park at Leo J. Ryan Park next to the Vibe teen center.

The city will construct the skate park at a cost of $259,000, a price Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Miller described as extremely competitive. The money for the project comes from the city’s Redevelopment Agency.

The project’s cost caused Kiesel to side with Mayor John Kiramis and Vice Mayor Rick Wykoff two weeks ago to delay the project because of the state’s poor economy.

Kiesel requested the item be re-agendized so the council could hear what alternatives there were to constructing a skate park.

The Parks and Recreation Department presented four alternatives to the council last night including the original plan. The second alternative was to redesign and rebid the skate park at a cost of $225,700. The third alternative was to convert the space into an open courtyard at a cost of $165,700 and the fourth alternative was to build the park at a later date and leave the lot of approximately 8,000 square feet unfinished at a cost of $23,000.

After hearing the cost estimates, Kiesel decided building the skate park now was the best alternative.

“Young people have worked hard in this city holding fundraisers to help defray the costs,” Kiesel said. “It’s been on the burner for three years. It’s a pretty difficult decision. But I recommend the skate park be built.”

Both Koelling and Frisella were pleased with Kiesel’s decision. Frisella is the council liaison to the Parks and Recreation Department and Koelling is the council liaison with the Youth Advisory Committee. Both have worked closely with teens over the past couple of years to help bring the skate park to reality.
“A ‘yes’ vote doesn’t mean we don’t understand the economic climate,” Frisella said.

Koelling said the park should have been built a long time ago.

Wykoff and Kiramis were both staunch in their views, however, and said the money could be spent better somewhere else or simply saved.
Both councilmen called Miller’s staff report “biased.”

Wykoff wanted to know why a community garden wasn’t considered as an alternative for the site.

The council heard from the public before making its vote. Only one of six speakers cited costs as a reason to shelve the project. All the other speakers, however, were in overwhelming support of the skate park.

Evelyn Long, chair of the Senior Advisory Committee in Foster City, encouraged the council to approve the park.

“Us seniors plan on skating too and giving the kids a run for their money,” Long said.

Tim Curry, a father of two, said the park is an investment in Foster City’s youth.

“I can’t support this enough. I can’t think of money better spent. It will help kids feel like they are a part of the community,” Curry said.

Several members of the Parks and Recreation Commission also spoke in favor of the park, including Steve Okamoto, Dick Keeley and Steve Morris.
Commission members pointed out to the council that skateboarding has become more popular than baseball for today’s youth.

“The older generation shouldn’t underestimate the recreational needs of the current generation,” Keeley said.

Morris said the council may have shelved the idea two weeks ago because of the timing of the state budget and concerns over state takeaways at the local level.

“If the skate park doesn’t get built now, it will never get built,” Morris said.

Okamoto encouraged the council to build the skate park now because it’s a buyer’s market.

“This is a buyer’s market and we are the buyers,” Okamoto said.

The mayor did not agree, however, saying there is no evidence the overall economy will be improving any time soon.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.

Kelly Ave Pyramid

1. WANTED: General Contractor who is bonded, licensed and insured and willing to be the contractor of record for the permit process AND work with skilled volunteers (like at Moss Beach Park) for a day to build the pyramid.

2. WANTED: $3-4k for materials (still pricing the metal trannies). This ramp would cost almost $20k if we bought it from RampTech.

Update

Things are happening!

First off, we now have plans drawn up to reinstall a pyramid at the park on Kelly Ave. We’ve cleaned up the park and even done some painting so things are looking sweet!

Our good friends at Bikeworks have donated 10 helmets available for use at the Kelly park. Simply check in with Kris or Sean at Bikeworks for a loaner if you need it.

And finally, Skate the Coast is incorporating itself, so we should soon be able to raise money for more improvements to Kelly Ave and a new concrete skatepark for the coastside.

Stay Tuned!

Headache Control at Kelly Ave

Attention Coastside Skaters. The Skate the Coast group has been formed by skaters like you. We are working to improve the coastside skating situation.

Briefly, our short-term goal is to upgrade and beautify the park on Kelly Ave. The not so short-term goal is to establish 15,000 sq ft of concrete, the caliber of Pacifica or Santa Cruz skateparks.

Soon we will have the ability to start fundraising for the cause. Our stepping-stone to that, is: working closely with the city, the B/G Club and the school district in order to make the Kelly Ave park all that it can be.

Now. Issues at the Kelly Ave park have arisen surrounding the use of helmets. We all need to cooperate with HMBPD’s wishes for helmet compliance, as it is part of the big picture for achieving a NEW skatepark. This will not only help us progress toward the new park but also help us avoid park closures and we can work to add more ramps and obstacles to skate at the park.

The reasons for wearing a helmet are many. You wouldn’t ride in a car without a seatbelt! Take a look at this. It’s real and don’t think it can’t happen to YOU.

http://wipeout.knowledgenetwork.ca/wipeout.html

Pay particular attention to the “CRAZY CRASH, SHOCKING AFTERMATH” video listed. And, if that wasn’t convincing enough, Skate the Coast has put together it’s very own “TOP TEN LIST” of reasons for skating with a helmet on.

Half Moon Bay PD Helmet Crackdown

(Note: skatepark closures begin immediately for any lack of helmet compliance. HMBPD will begin to issue citations to individuals for helmet violations beginning in Sept 2009.)

Official Notice from HMB PD:

Personnel;

Yesterday, I met with representatives from the School District, Boys & Girls Club, and the "Skate the Coast" Association regarding the on-going issue of skateboarders not wearing helmets when skating inside the skateboard park (refer to City Ordinance #9.11.010 & 9.11.020).

Effective immediately, if any person (regardless of age) is seen inside the skateboard park with a skateboard in their possession and not wearing a helmet, everyone will be asked to leave and the skateboard park will be closed (locked) for the day and reopened the next morning. In addition, no bicycles are allowed the skateboard park at any time.

Since the School District owns the property and the City is carrying the insurance, we must take these steps to prevent serious injury and restrict our exposure to civil liability.

During the summer, and just before the new school year, representatives from Skate the Coast Association and the School District will follow up with some outreach to educate the skateboarders on the risks involved with skateboarding without proper safety equipment. When school starts this September, we will be issuing citations to all persons in violation of the ordinance. You may refer skateboarders in violation to:

Michelle Dragony (Skate the Coast) @ (650) 740-4384.

Some of her business cards are on the table in the squad room as well.

Thanks,

Don O'Keefe

Police Chief

Once Again: Skatepark closures begin immediately, citations beginning in Sept 2009!

Helmets YES. Pads NO! AB 874

Your friends at Skate the Coast are working on your behalf to eliminate California’s obnoxious pads in public skateparks law. A simple letter pointing out the fact that pad requirements force kids out of skateparks and into the streets will help make this law go away. Feel free to cut and paste the following letter (amending your info) and bounce it over to Assemblyman Leland Yee.

Dear Senator Yee,

I am contacting you regarding Assembly Bill 874 (Saldana). I am a [skateboarder, parent of a skateboarder, skateboarding advocate, concerned citizen, etc.] who resides in your district. I urge you to support and vote for AB 874, which removes the requirement of wearing elbow pads and knee pads at public skateparks and makes them helmet only.

Although counterintuitive, current law threatens child safety by prohibiting skaters without pads from using the safest possible environment for skateboarding (public skatepark) and forcing them into the most dangerous place to skateboard (our cities streets, sidewalks, and parking lots).

AB 874 represents a more realistic and practical application of Section 115800. Passage of AB 874 encourages more kids to use public skateparks eliminating the dangers of traffic, uneven surfaces and pedestrians.

Again, I kindly urge you to support AB 874.

Thank you.

(Your Name)

(Your Address)

Now plug that letter in right here:

http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.aspx?district=SD08

A Case for Head Protection

TOP “TEN” REASONS FOR WEARING YOUR BRAIN BUCKET WHILE SKATING

20. SKATE THE COAST IS BUILDING A NEW SKATEPARK! WE WANT YOU THERE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SKATE IT!

19. HEADACHES SUCK!

18. “EEEEW! BLOOD IN YOUR HAIR……GROSS!”

17. HELMETS DON’T MAKE YOU LOOK DUMB. THEY MAKE YOU LOOK SMART.

16. DROOLING DUDE! NOT COOL.

15. HELMETS REDUCE THE RISK OF HEAD INJURY BY 85 PERCENT AND OF BRAIN INJURY BY 88 PERCENT

14. BRAIN INJURY DUE TO ACCIDENTS IN EXTREME SPORTS IS NOW THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND PERMANENT DISABILITY TO MALES UNDER THE AGE OF 35. (CHANCES ARE, THAT’S YOU!)

13. SEIZURES SUCK!

12. HELMETS ARE MUCH CHEAPER THAN A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL! THEY COST ONLY AROUND $30 AND YOU CAN PUT STICKERS ON THEM! (IN THE HOSPITAL THEY PUT STICKERS ON YOU!)

11. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HARD PAVEMENT IS UNTIL YOUR HEAD REALLY HITS IT.

10. STRAWS ARE COOL. FEEDING TUBES SUCK!

9. YOU WILL CRASH EVENTUALLY.

8. CONCUSSIONS OCCUR EVEN IF THE SKATER DOESN’T LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS AND IN FACT, THEY ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF BRAIN INJURY SUSTAINED IN SPORTS.

7. FALLS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF TBI (TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY)

6. A TBI INCREASES YOUR RISK FOR CONDITIONS SUCH AS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, PARKINSON'S DISEASE , AND OTHER BRAIN DISORDERS THAT BECOME MORE PREVALENT WITH AGE.

5. “SORRY, I CAN’T MAKE IT TO LUNCH TODAY. I HAVE TO SEE MY NEUROSURGEON THIS AFTERNOON…”

4. A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO TASTE.

3. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.

2. SKATEBOARDS! NOW COMPLETE WITH FRONT AND SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS. Umm, I don’t think so.

1. SKATE THE COAST IS BUILDING A NEW SKATEPARK! WE WANT YOU THERE WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SKATE IT!

Potential cement skatepark sites for the coastside:

Skate our Strip site
Jetty site
MIRADA SURF (south side EG school)

Half Moon Bay Skatepark March 17, 2009

Here's photos of what we currently have

Here's Casey and his friends skatin...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVqsqVT4bXE


And this sesh...