Sterling, VA... Washington Post Article

[John Bracken]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00014.html



Sterling Skater Is Man on a Mission
Loudoun County's Only Skate Park Is in Leesburg. Not Cool, Some Say.

By Arianne Aryanpur
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 15, 2007; Page LZ01

With rap music thumping in the background, 18-year-old Joe Adams jumped on his skateboard and made a beeline for the highest half-pipe.

The setting was on the sterile side -- an indoor basketball court at the Sterling Community Center, outfitted with portable ramps, rails and ledges. But for the 50 or so skateboarders who showed up for the competition Saturday afternoon, it was a rare chance to enjoy their sport somewhere that was close to home and completely legal.

"You don't have to worry about being caught here. There's no limits," said Adams, a Potomac Falls High School senior.

The competition included sessions for skaters of various ages and skill levels, as well as awards for the highest and farthest ollie. But the event was also about giving voice to the needs of an underserved community.

Steve Jefferson, 18, who organized Saturday's affair, is trying to draw attention to the lack of legal skateboarding spots in Eastern Loudoun. Jefferson, a Park View High School graduate studying Web design at Northern Virginia Community College, took up the sport when he was 11 and is now a sponsored skateboarder.

He said he and many other teenagers in Eastern Loudoun often must resort to skating on curbs, on park benches and in parking lots, irritating local business owners and public safety officials. The county's only skate park is in Leesburg.

"I usually street-skate around business buildings, and I always get kicked out," said Jefferson, who lives in Sterling. "I felt like something should be done, and nobody had done anything besides in Leesburg. So I decided to step it up."

Jefferson's campaign began last year with a petition circulated at local schools and businesses. The document drew more than 1,000 signatures from adults and youths supporting the construction of a skate plaza. In recent months, he has met with Loudoun County parks and recreation officials to promote the idea.

There is precedent for what he is trying to accomplish. The construction of Catoctin Skate Park in Leesburg started with a group of Leesburg teenagers who built community support and worked with local officials.

Jefferson wants not only to bring legal skateboarding to another section of the county but also to create a different kind of facility. He said that unlike Leesburg's skate park, which has ramps and boxes specially designed for the sport, the skate plaza would consist of stairs, benches and other elements found in a typical urban environment.

Loudoun County's chief parks planner, Mark Novak, is among the officials who has met with Jefferson. Novak said he recognizes the need for legal skating spots in Eastern Loudoun and has told Jefferson he is willing to explore possible sites that are county-owned. One advantage of skate plazas is that they can be converted at night into venues for concerts and trade shows, he said.

Novak said the problem with the project, as with any such undertaking, is the cost.

"We've always had interest in skate parks and plazas, but we don't have funding," he said, noting that the county's capital improvements budget already is planned through 2014.

Another option, possibly less expensive, would be to build several smaller skate parks throughout the county, Jefferson said.

Saturday's competition in Sterling was the third indoor skating event that Jefferson has organized in the past four months. The wooden ramps and rails have been donated by the Elite Board Shop in Fairfax and, between events, are stored under a tarp outside his parents' home. He is hoping to use proceeds from the events to find a permanent storage space for the equipment.

Jefferson launched a Web site last week, Loudouncountyskateproject.com, and is in the process of creating a nonprofit organization. In the coming months, he plans to present his idea for a skate plaza at a meeting of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.

Support has been building in the local skating community through word of mouth and the Internet.

Bill Bold, a freshman at Oakton High School in Vienna, learned of Saturday's event through MySpace. Like many teenagers, he was excited about the effort to expand the number of legal skating spots in the area.

"Ever since Vans [Skate Park in Potomac Mills] closed, we don't have anywhere to skate except dumb parks," Bold said. "If he builds a place, we'll have a substitute and we won't get in trouble with police."

Debbie Adams of Sterling, who came out to watch her son Joe compete in one of the skating contests, was also enthusiastic about the idea.

Joe "has wasted a lot of gas going to and from Arlington" to skate, she said. "I'd be thrilled if they had something for the kids in Sterling."

Kara Muller of Ashburn learned about the event on the Internet and decided to watch it. Muller, 33, is a member of DC Rollergirls, an all-female roller derby league in the District. She said that young skaters are often stereotyped as troublemakers, but that those perceptions can dissolve when the community is presented with someone like Jefferson.

"People seem to think that skating is an element they don't want in their community, but they don't get to know the individuals who are doing it," Muller said. "These kids have an outlet. These aren't the kids with nothing to do after school."

[John Leizear]

Rad, good job Steve! Skate at the Center has been a great vehicle for you guys. Awesome. BTW John Bracken is the man!

[SteveJefferson]

Here's another article from the Loudoun Observer. Will be printed in tomorrow's paper.

http://www.observernews.com/stories/cur ... kate.shtml

Skater Continues Pursuit

By Katie MurphySend Mail to Writer
Observer Staff Writer

Steve Jefferson said he hates that there is no legal place to skate in Sterling and that skaters are often thought of as punks that destroy property. So he created the Loudoun County Skate Project, an organization whose goal is to support and promote the Loudoun skateboarding scene.

Although he is far from the development of a skate park in Sterling, Jefferson said he has prospects in Ashburn and Purcellville about which he is excited.

An old warehouse located near the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Shellhorn Road is the proposed Ashburn skate park site. Jefferson said he was contacted by Rocketown, a youth center based in Nashville, Tenn., and Kelley Hagood, an Ashburn resident who used to work with Rocketown, presented him with information about the warehouse.

Jefferson said Rocketown is a 40,000 square foot non-profit entertainment facility that consists of an indoor skate park, a coffee bar and three stages, and Hagood thinks the Ashburn site could be the next Rocketown. Jefferson said they are currently negotiating with the owner of the warehouse.

Jefferson has also teamed with Purcellville resident Dolly Stevens, whose son is a skateboarder. He said local skaters and their parents, the Purcellville Chief of Police and other community supporters formed a skate committee to look at building a skate park in the town. He said they discussed the need for a skate area and began presenting the Purcellville Town Council and general public with possible options.

Jefferson said the projects in Ashburn and Purcellville are great, but he still wants one in Sterling. The 18-year-old Park View High School graduate has been actively pushing for a skate park in Sterling since 2005. He collected more than 1,000 signatures in November 2005 from parents and businesses that were eager to see the skateboarders congregating in an established facility, and not in front of shopping centers.

He recently launched a Web site, www.loudouncountyskateproject.com, for the project, and he has coordinated three fundraising events called "Skate in the Center" since December 2006 at the Sterling Community Center. He has raised about $1,000 at the events, which are indoor skating competitions with wooden ramps and rails that Elite Board Shop in Fairfax donated to him.

Jefferson said he is currently planning a summer music concert, which would be a family-focused event with a combination of music. He said he has been working with other fundraising groups in the area to combine efforts and is always looking for volunteers and supporters.
He said by raising the money, he is showing Loudoun County that he is determined to get Sterling a skate park.

He said size does not matter. The park could be as small as 3,000 square feet, he said.

The most important requirement for his skate park is that it is as accessible as the street is, meaning it has to be free for everyone to skate when they want to, just like park benches and curbs are now. He would also like his park to be styled in a street fashion with stairs, benches and creative architecture. His grand plan is to build a complete cement park that would require no maintenance.

Jefferson said he has his eyes on three Sterling locations: an abandoned gas station off Route 7; a concrete slab located behind Burlington Coat Factory; and the four tennis courts at the Sterling Golf Club.

He said the tennis courts are not often used and the owner said he was interested in the skate park. However, the owner wanted to make a profit off the facility and Jefferson said that is not what he wants. Jefferson said he would prefer to have skate companies sponsor the construction of the park, which he expects would cost about $100,000, and offer free use of the facility to skateboarders.

"I"ve seen it done before and companies will have their name on a rail or something," Jefferson said.
Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) said, "I wish him well, but we had looked for seven years for five acres for a police station, much less a skate park."

Delgaudio said Jefferson would have more success if he opened a for-profit park, like the rock-climbing establishments. He also said he was extremely concerned about the county"s liability if the skate park became part of Loudoun"s parks and recreation facilities. Delgaudio said skateboarding is an extreme sport with extreme risks, and one bad fall could cost the county millions in liability.

He said the county has a mandate in place requiring the county to accommodate the needs of established youth sports, such as baseball, football and basketball. However, he said, skateboarding is not sponsored by any school and there is not a county league, so skateboarding does not fall under that category.

"Good luck on the journey and best wishes," Delgaudio said. "To get from where he is now to where all the other sports leagues in less than at least 10 years is impossible, and it is not even proper to be a public interest."

---------

As you can see, Delgaudio isn't too experienced with the sport of skateboarding.. saying it's not even a public interest. There's been a lot of hatred between this dude and the community in the past.

[John Bracken]

Eugene Delgaudio needs to be educated that for one, Virginia is a limited liability state, and that skateboarding is one of the #1 recreational choiced for youths.

[John Bracken]

Eugene Delgaudio also needs to understand that every skateboarder in Loundon County counts as a vote.

When is he up for re-election?

[John Leizear]

I would caution about giving out skatepark costs. $100,000 is going to give people the wrong info.

[John Bracken]

Rebuttal letters to the editor are needed. The record need to be set straight concerning Eugene Delgaudio comments on skateboarding.

Letters can be emailed to katiemurphy@observernews.com and need to arrive by Tuesday, April 17th.

Here's a rough draft of my letter.


Dear Editor,

My name is John Bracken and I am the Mid Atlantic Director for Skaters for Public Skateparks (www.skatersforpublicskatepark.org), a non-profit skatepark advocacy organization, international in reach, dedicated to providing the information necessary to ensure safe, rewarding, freely-accessible skateparks are available to all skateboarders. I am a resident of Winchester, VA, 42 years old and have been skating on and off since 1974.

After reading the story dated April 13, 2007 in the Loudoun Observer, there are several things the people of Loudoun County (including Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio) should be made aware of concerning skateboarding.

1. Virginia has a Limited Liability Law.

Virginia
§ 15.2-1809. Liability of localities in the operation of parks, recreational facilities and playgrounds.

No city or town which operates any park, recreational facility or playground shall be liable in any civil action or proceeding for damages resulting from any injury to the person or from a loss of or damage to the property of any person caused by any act or omission constituting ordinary negligence on the part of any officer or agent of such city or town in the maintenance or operation of any such park, recreational facility or playground. Every such city or town shall, however, be liable in damages for the gross negligence of any of its officers or agents in the maintenance or operation of any such park, recreational facility or playground.

The immunity created by this section is hereby conferred upon counties in addition to, and not limiting on, other immunity existing at common law or by statute.

(Code 1950, § 15-714; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-291; 1979, c. 277; 1990, c. 18; 1997, c. 587.)

Several cities/towns and counties in Virginia operate skateparks without fear of liability because of this law. Skateboarding is a relatively safe activity. A study by American Sports Data Inc. showed there were more injuries to athletes in basketball, soccer, football and softball than those skateboarding. A 2002 article in The Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection and Critical Care stated that most skateboarding injuries are from collisions with cars -- not from falling from the board. Last year 42 skaters in the USA lost their lives from collisions with cars.

Risk management tips from officials at the Michigan Municipal League concerning skateparks. http://www.mmlpool.org/shared/public/ri ... _parks.php

2. Skateboarding is not a fad. Having been popular since the 1950’s it is the #1 youth sport today. According to www.board-trac.com, there are 12 million skateboarders in the U.S. compared to 9 million Little Leaguers. Look at it this way, there are roughly 2000 skateparks in the USA, but who know exactly how many Little League ball fields there are.

Why is skateboarding so much more popular that the traditional stick and ball sports? Instant gratification… Today’s youth culture is about “getting itâ€

[John Bracken]

Got this reply from Supervisor Delgaudio.

From what I can gather, unless you are part of a league or team... forget about it. Thank god it's an election year!

John Bracken

Dear Mr. Bracken,

Thank you. I have not seen the article.

Your information is the kind of information that any group seeking support routinely answers 100s of times to people who are responsible for public safety.

It should have been part of a overall background information packet for the public.

Loudoun is the home to "rock-climbing" facilitates in private and public facilities now and "miniature race car driving" in private facilities. They can't be any less acceptable than skateboarding.

Petition gathering and public relations is a very small part of the process to determine or obtain endorsements and ignores the responsibility some of us have to work with the laws and limits of the public office.

The public process must include routine explanations to an ever expanding universe of interested or supportive citizens.

I am actively supporting sports leagues that regularly attempt due diligence of answering questions about finances, management and public safety.

I will support any sports league that does this. Either they answer the questions or I get the phone call asking about my opinion about it.

Eugene Delgaudio

[John Leizear]

Editor

I read with great intrest your article on the Loudoun County Skate Project. Bravo, to Mr. Steve Jefferson and all those rallying behind him. My name is John Leizear, I sit on the Board of Directors for Skaters for Public Skateparks. In addition I grew up in Sterling and cut my teeth skateboarding there. It's been 15 plus years since I left Sterling, but I see one thing has remained the same. The strength and resolve of it's skateboarders!

Sterling needs a skatepark in a desperate way. The alternative is our children being forced into public areas, including roadways, to recreate. That is inexcusable. Supervisor Delgaudio, liability is not an issue, and I believe you know that too. Virginia has a comprehensive Recreational Statute that more than adequately protects Virginias Towns, Cities, and Counties. The Skatepark in Leesburg should be some indication of success. It has been there for many years now. Have you heard of any Law Suits, Deaths, or otherwise? Skateboarding is safer than Football statistically, and the County funds every High School Football team.

I challenge the Board of Supervisors and all the residents of Loudoun County to come through for their youth. Skateparks are safe, affordable, and neccessary in all communities. I recently concluded a report, and found that 27 people lost their lives being struck by vehicles, while skateboarding. The youngest was only 7 years old. Times have changed. Sport has changed. These are atheletes, make no mistake. They are fit, and agile. However they are forced to be made criminals, or to recreate in our streets. Much like Baseball in it's infancy.

I am available to talk with any Board members or otherwise, should you need real facts on skateparks. I have sent off e-mails to all of the Board Members and other Government Officials. I encourage the Residents of Sterling to do the same, and support Steve Jefferson's efforts to bring Sterling a Skateplaza.

Sincerely,
John Leizear
Board of Directors
Skaters for Public Skateparks
(540) 219-4096
skatersalliance@comcast.net

[Scott Shinn]

Dear Katie,

Thanks for your coverage of Mr. Steve Jefferson's emerging efforts to build a free public skatepark under the banner of Loudoun County Skate Project. This type of story has been told in many cities throughout the United States, and I applaud what's going on in Sterling.

However, I was deeply concerned with Eugene Delgaudio's comments regarding the apparent lack of space and support for such a facility in the community. Mr. Delgaudio's assumptions that skateboarding is an "extreme sport with extreme risks" and that the skatepark would be more successful if it were based on a pay-to-play model were not made from an understanding of this popular sport. In addition to its relatively low injury statistics, Virginia's limited liability laws, like those in my home state of Washington, make skateboarding a great choice for public recreation in Sterling. Further, one need only review California's lengthy track record with supervised, for-profit skateparks to discover that free public skateparks are a much better investment of public dollars.

I was saddened to read the claim that "To get from where he is now to where all the other sports leagues in less than at least 10 years is impossible, and it is not even proper to be a public interest." Indeed, skateboarding has been an intrinsic part of American culture for over 40 years, and the fact that it does not readily organize itself into leagues with teams is an asset, not a disadvantage. In an era where fewer and fewer youth participate in team sports, skateboarding offers a great alternative to the type of recreation that Mr. Delgaudio may have grown up with. The fact that there is a constituency in his community that supports this sport, and that is willing to organize and petition the government to build proper facilities for it, should be evidence enough that skateboarding is certainly a public interest - one that would make a positive impact in the lives of the people he serves.

Sincerely,

Scott Shinn
Director, Parents for Skateparks

[SteveJefferson]

Thanks soo much for the backing support guys!!!

I'm pretty sure Delgaudio is getting the point, or maybe not, but the fact is that all this controversy is spreading the word around.

Thanks again for the support and time to write those awesome letters,

You guys rock!

[SteveJefferson]

Here's the convo my mom had with the guy...

Mr. Delgaudio,

I am outraged that the supervisor representing my district can be so unsupportive, and frankly care less about the efforts of an incrediblely focused, motivated 18 year old. I am referring to your comments in the Observer article concerning my son, Steve Jefferson. His efforts to improve opportunities for a large group of pre teen, teenagers, and adults, whose needs should be addressed by Loudoun County, were pretty much "blown off" by you. Are you so self focused that you can not take the time to recognize his efforts or even research information regarding skateboarding before you speak to the media? How about speaking with your county's department of Parks and Recreation, and learning of their extreme support, which includes detailed meetings, and recognition that there is a great need for legal and safe skate spots for the hundreds of skaters in our county. If you had, you would have found that it is a worth while effort to learn more about and give your support. In regards to liability, please see the attached document that clearly state how misunderstood the percentage of injuries while skateboarding really is in comparison to other sports. You are basing your statements (in the Observer) on "old school" thinking, without the benefit of investigating the truth.

My husband and I have been Sterling Park residents for 16 years. We have been active and supportive in all aspects of our 4 son's lives, which include the development of Briar Patch Playground, football, baseball, boy scouts, OM, PTAs, employment, skateboarding and much more. Knowing that you are a father, I would like to ask how you would feel if the person who represented you in your community showed the same lack of support for something that your child felt strongly about and took the proper steps to improve, instead of being disrespectful and just simply complaining when constantly being told he could not do the sport he loves so much?

It is time that you step back from useless campaign begging, and really look at what is important to this community. It is the children, of all races, interests, and upbringings. They are the ones that are going to make this community rise to greatness or fall to gangs. They may not have the money, but they will make the greatest impact on this county. Its time that you don't let your personal opinions affect what you support and don't support, you are a representative of more people than your own family. Talk to business owners, sheriff's deputies, and citizens who constantly are affected by kids skating around their areas. Ask them how important it is to have a designated, legal, safe spot for these kids to do what they love to do.

Sir, you can not pretend to be a representative of all those in your district, when you have your own personal agenda. When you are doing all of your mingling tonight at Santini's , think about how you can best represent all of those in your district, not just the few you select. The characteristic of being a great leader is being able to listen, learn, and support all of those around you, even if you disagree.

Sincerely,

Barbara Jefferson



Delgaudio Replied:


Thanks for your comments but it has been some time and none of this information you present has reached me and no one has contacted me directly.

Please don't be outraged over an opinion that a reporter asks me about a project. It is not a comment on your son. The reporter asks me a question, and I answer it. Thank you.

If anyone wishes to give me a call and discuss this project, my phone is 703-421-4599. Press interviews should not be considered more than an opinion based on current information and what the newspaper actually publishes. I am open to new information and especially aware that I have limited information which is the thrust of my remarks. I said a lot of information needs to be developed for me and for this process.

Sincerely,

Eugene Delgaudio



My mom Replied:



Mr. Delgaudio,
When you have a moment, please read the article, and let me know what part you dispute saying to the reporter.( http://www.observernews.com/stories/cur ... kate.shtml ) Your answers to the reporter are what I am so outraged about. You show no support for this population of Loudoun County, without any research and investigation on the subject. According to the reporter, the article is all accurate information from your 45 minute interview. I also base my frustration on your response to an email I initially sent to you about 2 years ago.

You see, when Steve first wanted to do something regarding the lack of safe, legal skate spots in Loudoun County, I emailed you for advise on the process to bring up such proposal to the county. His father and I have always encouraged our children to be proactive, rather than reactive. If you don't like the way something is done, work to change it. You also knocked it down then, with no support, or even advise on how to try. Luckily, my son didn't agree with you ( that it was not worth trying). Fortunately, the support of the department of Parks and Recreation has kept him motivated and determined to educate everyone on the concept.

I would strongly recommend that when doing interviews, you either research the subject thoroughly, or mention that you are not fully educated on the issue, rather than making a negative, unsupportive statements, without backing.

I am looking forward to hearing from you, after you review the article.

Barbara Jefferson


He had a fund raiser at a sub shop earlier tonight .. my buddies and I put "Support the Loudoun County Skate Project" stickers all over his campaign signs.

[John Bracken]

SWEET!

Steve, make friends with his opponent.

[John Leizear]

I sent Jeanne West an e-mail yesterday. She is Delgaudio's opponent. Take advantage of the fact that he is a hard line conservative, in an ever increasingly Democratic County. Steve, let us know what you need for more support. The County has fallen way behind in providing Recreational opportunities to it's now quarter million residents. Great work, we got your back!

[SteveJefferson]

Thanks for sending the email John. I'll make it a priority to meet with her soon and i'll let you guys know how everything goes.

Steve