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60 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 19, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 3, 2004 Central Point skaters will finally get their park By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT � After more than four years of planning, fund-raisers and disappointing rejections, local youths finally will have their own skateboard park. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department announced Thursday that a $152,481 grant had been awarded to the city to construct a skateboard park on a 3.9-acre site next door to Central Point Elementary School. Local teacher and former city Parks Commission member Mack Lewis, who helped form the Central Point Youth Skate Park Committee in 2000, was at a loss for words when he heard the news. "That’s, uh, amazing. Gosh. It comes completely out of the blue for me," said Lewis, who had given up hope long ago. "My personal opinion is I guess I thought it was dead. (Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Hanson) has worked extremely hard and we got turned down two or three times and she just kept trying again. I guess persistence pays off." Advertisement The park, expected to cost $300,000, will be constructed with the state grant, $150,000 in matching funds set aside by City Council last year and money raised by local skaters. Community Development Director Tom Humphrey said receiving the grant would be a "nice capstone" for Hanson’s career. Hanson retired Wednesday and will continue part-time until the city hires a new parks and recreation director. "This is a really pleasant surprise," Humphrey said. "Nancy Hanson has worked very hard at this and this will be something that she can retire knowing that, after a long time in the planning process, can finally be started." Hanson was out of town and could not be reached for comment Thursday. Public works director Bob Pierce was also stunned to learn of the grant on Thursday. "This is news to us. Needless to say we’re very excited," said Pierce. "Gosh-oh-Friday we’re ready to start sending stuff out to bid. We have plans and everything ready to go. As soon as we get conformation from state parks that we’ve received the grant, we’ll move forward. This is pretty exciting stuff." The state awarded $2.3 million in lottery funds, allocated by the 2003 Legislature, to six cities and two park and recreation districts. The biggest grant, $500,000, went to the city of Keizer and Marion County for a $1.2 million land acquisition. The smallest amount, $18,000, was granted to Clatsop County for developing a wetlands trail. Local skaters formed a youth committee in 2000. Designs for the Central Point skateboard park were originally drawn by Lewis’ son Darryl, who has since moved to Eugene for college. His younger son, Dain, and a handful of original project supporters are still avid skaters, Lewis said. "I’m thrilled that they’ll be doing that set of plans and that there is full funding for it. That’s just awesome," he said. "I had somebody ask just this week about the skatepark and I gave them an answer that it didn’t look real positive. I was assuming we’d been turned down for this grant as well." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities