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Sidewalk surfers, beware Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell South Medford High School freshman Celina Weeg does a front-side-air on a quarter-pipe Thursday at The Ledge skateboard park in Jacksonville. Thanks to a new ordinance, skateboarders who stray onto Jacksonville's downtown sidewalks not only face a $100 fine, but may have their boards confiscated. Skateboarding in downtown Jacksonville could temporarily cost offenders their boards By MEG LANDERS JACKSONVILLE - From now on, skateboarding on sidewalks carries a new risk. You could lose your board. The City Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday granting police officers the right to confiscate offenders' skateboards and hold them until they are released by the court after any fines are paid. "I think it's a good law," said 14-year-old Celina Weeg of Jacksonville, who's been skateboarding for more than a year. "The sidewalks are pretty crowded with people," she said. "It doesn't matter how good you are, you could still run into someone." Riding skateboards is prohibited in Jacksonville's downtown core, from First to Fifth streets and Main to C streets. Violators must appear in court and can be fined up to $100, said Jacksonville Police Chief David Towe. But apparently that wasn't enough to deter sidewalk skateboarders. He said he's received many complaints from area merchants. "It's a matter of time before someone gets hurt," said Jean Robertson, co-owner of GeBzz the Gallery on South Oregon Street. "They whiz by the doors and don't care if someone's coming out the door." Many times she's called out to boarders not to ride downtown, she said, and has been frustrated with feeling powerless. "There was no way to get them to stop," she said. Celina admits that she and her friends used to ride downtown when they were in a hurry. "After a couple of shop owners told us to stop skating there, we stopped," she said. Now she and her friends ride down the hill on Oregon Street toward town until they reach The Good Bean Company, then they pick up their boards and walk. But Towe said not all boarders have heeded warnings. "We needed a tool that was for these kids who are habitual offenders," said Towe. He said the new ordinance is an effort to resolve the issue for merchants. While police in other parts of Jackson County are authorized to confiscate skateboards, most said they haven't had a big problem. In Ashland, however, police say they must confiscate boards often. Narrow sidewalks in this historic town make skateboarding a bigger issue, Towe said. "We're trying to keep the kids safe." Celina said she hopes police don't just start taking everyone's boards. "I think they should start out with warnings," she said. Towe is putting together a public education program about the problem and the new ordinance. "We're hoping to educate kids and their parents," he said. "The intent is to gain compliance. I don't want to get in the business of taking kids' skateboards." Robertson said she's pleased with the city's new ordinance. She said she understands the appeal of flying down a sloped sidewalk on a skateboard. "I get why it's fun, but jeez, you got a skateboard park nearby," she said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.