Give ’em a skate park

The city of Roanoke alone has 39 athletic fields owned and maintained by taxpayers. The entire valley must have well over a hundred. We have 26 miles of greenways.

We have climbing gyms, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, football fields, basketball courts, dog parks, playgrounds, swimming pools.

We have one, decrepit, rundown, falling apart, dangerous skate park.

Everywhere I go, I see the words “No Skating” posted. Now we get to read about concerned citizens wanting to run skaters away from one of the safest, most visible places in our entire area where they could congregate.

Where should they go? Inside, on the couch? A back alley?

Kids get in a lot less trouble where adults can see them. How long until we accept them as part of this community and support them with even one-half percent of the support we give to every other athletic activity under the sun?

If I were 17 again, I’d be rallying every kid I could find to show up at those benches every single night. It’s their community, too.

WILLIAM ALEXANDER
ROANOKE

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