8.9.10. PRSR 02-18-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• GETTING LAND Securing a piece of property is the first, and most crucial, aspect of any potential track. When looking for your land, this letter can be very helpful to you. Use the information included as a tool in dealing with those who make the decisions about property allotment. Many times,the appeal to these people is not how grand the facility can by but what it can do for the kids it will potentially affect. An open letter to Parks and Recreation Departments by Bob Osborn There is a park down the street from my house. Like most parks in most metropolitan cities,it has trees,grass,sidewalks,swings,and a sandbox. Nice park. But very few young people around here use it. Being basically a curious fellow, I did some checking to find out why. I discovered that there are any number of local ordinances which apply to parks in my city. One prohibits climbing in the trees. Another states that you cannot dig in the grass or do anything that will tear it up. Still another forbids riding skateboards on the sidewalk, and another outlaws bicycles from the park entirely. That leaves the swings and sandbox. Terrific... with super-attractions like these, the young people around here get down to this park about once a year for maybe ten minutes. This park cost$750,000 of you-know-who's money. So where do these kids go instead? To the vacant lots,of course. There they can ride bicycles, build jumps and moto-cross tracks, dig in the dirt, climb tress,holler and • yell,and whatever. Young people are active and energetic. They are learning, growing, and testing themselves and their environment They are changing in mind and body from children into adults. During this cataclysmic process they need to, and will, blow off a bunch of steam. But where and how? And will their outlets be physically and mentally healthy or unhealthy? When the last vacant lot is gone,where do these young people go to spend their vast energies? And when they have nowhere to go that offers a challenge,how many of them will become involved in vandalism,drinking,stealing or drugs for excitement? That park down the street from my house is not an example of all the city parks in the United States. Some city governments create parks that truly reflect the needs and desires of the local residents. All too many city governments, however, are building parks that are sterile environments. The Parks and Recreations Departments in these cities are missing their obligations by a mile. To this latter group I would suggest considering the otential users of most city parks: our young people. If they were asked what they potential most like included in park designs, bicycle motocross tracks, skateboard areas, and mini-bikes trails would top the list Isn't it about time that at least a percentage of city park land include facilities that these young people want and really will use? I cannot speak for skateboarders or mini-bikers, but I can for the BMXers. BMX was invented by young people. It adapts extremely well to park environments, with a minimum outlay of money. It is non-polluting. It builds health, coordination and character. It can be as competitive or non-competitive as the individual w ants to make it. It is an individual (as opposed to team) sport that offers many lessons which can be • applied directly to adult life in our competitive society. It is also a sport that the entire family can,and usually will,become involved in.