Mother pushes for skate park in Camdenton
Associated Press
CAMDENTON, Mo. - A mother in this central Missouri town is frustrated because her son and his friends have no place to skateboard.
Nicole Henson bought her 13-year-old son, Sean, a skateboard to keep him out of trouble. But Sean was sent to a juvenile city officer and received a warning for trespassing after a Camdenton High School official complained to police about the skateboarders.
The officer yelled at the skateboarders and issued warnings, but offered no solution about where the boys should skate.
Camdenton Police Chief Laura Webster instructed officers to confiscate skateboards as evidence if the offending person has been warned before.
Everyone is frustrated, Webster said. The skateboarders have nowhere to go, and the police are tired of warning those who continue to skateboard where they shouldn't be. Businesses are frustrated because they don't want their property damaged.
About 15 local businesses have called the police complaining about skaters, Webster said. She would like to find a viable solution, but right now, the city can't afford a skate park.
A small skate park can cost around $40,000 and larger facilities can be about $120,000, said City Administrator Elmer Meyer. Meyer is concerned too few people would use the park to justify spending the money to build one.
In Eldon, the same problem came up in 2002. The city designated an area at the Eldon Air Park for use as a skateboard park. The Eldon Area Community Betterment Organization took over the project. Students, community members, and businesses donated time, money, and resources to make the park a reality.
Henson said she is willing to do what it takes to ensure there is a place to ride skateboards safely.
"He is getting in trouble for skateboarding, but he has nowhere to go," Henson said of her son. "I'm afraid one of them is going to get hit by a car."
