Dan Hughes at his morning constitutional.
For years SPS Core Contributor Dan Hughes has been collecting clipping news items that mention skateboarding and skateparks. Here are some bits from that collection that we found particularly interesting.
Obesity rates have tripled over the
past 40 years for children and teens, raising their risk of diabetes
and other diseases. For the first time, Carmona said, children are
being diagnosed with high blood pressure.
— Richard Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General, 2002 – 2006 (source)
"It's going to take quite a lot to discourage the kids from using it."
— Michael McClatchey, head of the Beverly Hills High
School remodelling effort designed to prevent skateboarding. The
anti-skateboarding effort included installing curb brackets and
roughening particular curbs, the latter projected to cost as much as
$30,000. (source: Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2006)
In a month, the tennis court was used only 10 times, and the basketball court only once, while the skatepark was used 89 times.
Councilor Jon Eck, who also serves on
the Parks Commission, said that the commission was frustrated with the
constant resurfacing and upkeep of the tennis courts. It costs about
$10,000 every two years.
— (source)
"If you want to understand skaters,
you have to skate. Skateparks are an urban art form, like a
concrete wave. Unless you understand what it's like to
carve that wave you shouldn't put pen to paper."
— Rod Wojtanik, Project Manager City of Portland, Oregon (source)
"The kids loved it and if they take these activities outside of
school and it keeps them active instead of in front of a TV, that's the
bonus!"
—
Kelley King, principal at Douglass Elementary in Boulder, Colorado on
the skateboarding class being offered in the physical education
curriculum. Boulder Valley school district was the first to feature
such a class in the nation. (source)
For more great news clips check out the full list.
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