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Council opens arms to City Hall skatepark
Jingle bell rock
BY PETER DUGRÉ
“The number one site as far as getting it done and getting a park built would be city hall.”
Skateboarders were given hope on Dec. 15 that Carpinteria will some day be a city in which they have a designated park to skate. At a special workshop to discuss the feasibility of adding a skatepark to Carpinteria’s parks and rec offerings, the council was so warm to the idea of building a skatepark, that it directed city staff to devise a plan to put one next to city hall in the 30,000-square-foot area now occupied by defunct Thunderbowl roller rink. In its vote to explore building ––Mayor Carty a park, the council added the condition that the Carpinteria Skate Foundation, the driving force behind building a park, partner with the city to help fund and maintain the park. “I’m in favor of a skatepark, and I can’t wait to see this built,” commented Mayor Gregg Carty before the unanimous 4-0 vote; Councilmember Brad Stein was absent due to a conflict of interest. In a feasibility study on building a local skatepark, the city had analyzed potential sites near the Amtrak platform, but residential neighbors had voiced concerns over noise and possible crime from skateboarders, which could have stalled planning. “The number one site as far as getting it done and getting a park built would be city hall,” Carty said. In presenting the city’s findings from the feasibility study, Parks & Recreation Director Matt Roberts downplayed concerns about injury liability and increased crime at skateboard parks. His findings were that team sports commonly played at other city parks had more incidences of injury than skateboarding and that crime occurs at all parks and not necessarily at a higher rate if the park is used for skateboarding. Three of the dozens of speakers were against building a park. Kika Hutchings, a retired educator, said she had watched children at recess throughout her career and found that they always broke the rules, so the city’s ordinance stating skateboarders need to wear helmets and pads—an ordinance put in place ahead of construction of a temporary skatepark in 2000—would not work. “Who’s going to pay for it when kids get injured? I hope it’s not the taxpayer,” Hutchings asked. Supporters of a local skatepark, most wearing Carpinteria Skate Foundation T-shirts, packed the room. Also, organizers involved in both the Santa Barbara and Ojai skateparks urged the city to move forward with a park.
SKATE PARK continued on page 22
ROBIN KARLSSON
At the Dec. 13 Carpinteria Holiday Spirit Parade, local holiday cheer overflowed, including merry music played by the Patterson family from the back of the Santa Barbara Forge & Iron truck. Andy Patterson is on the trombone, with Joel Patterson on guitar and Mary Patterson on flute. For more coverage of the record-large parade, turn to pages 26 and 27.
Kiwanis Club makes spirits bright
The Kiwanis Club of Carpinteria Valley’s annual Christmas Party for children enrolled in programs at the Carpinteria Children’s Project at Main was held on Dec. 9. According to club member Rosana Swing, “The kids entertained us all with several holiday songs, then Santa arrived for more excitement.” Hosting the local gathering, where Santa hands out gifts to children in need, is a decades-old holiday tradition for the club. See more photos from holiday celebrations around Carpinteria on page 12, 26 and 27.
Santa puts smiles on little faces during the annual Kiwanis Club holiday event.
ROSANA SWING