On Saturday, Spalding County Parks and Recreation Department Director Louis Greene and Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission Chairwoman Regina Abbott will hold a meeting at The Grind skate park on Camp Northern Road at 10 a.m. in order to elect officials for the new skate park association.
“We want any interested parents, adults, teenagers (and) children that are interested in skateboarding,” Greene said.
Abbott compared the planned organization to the booster clubs associated with other recreation sports such as baseball or soccer. The association will be “responsible for activities (and) programs similar to the baseball association,” she said.
The association will also be responsible for the concession stand at the skate park, which will be operated by Jesse Maddox, a local vendor.
“We will take the money that’s earned off that (the concession stand) and put it back into the park in terms of equipment,” Abbott said.
The revenue generated at the stand could also be used for prizes or trophies for skating or BMX tournaments at the park.
Abbott described how the association will also have input in how the county runs the skate park.
“The association is serving as an advisory capacity to Parks and Recreation,” she said.
While the city owns the land and the county leases it, the association will be in charge of the programs and offer recommendations to both the city and county.
Tony Rakestraw, acting president of the association, said the association will come up with a code of conduct for use of the skate park.
“We can come up with rules and regulations for the kids,” he said.
According to Rakestraw, the association will enforce the rules and keep the park safe.
Greene believes a code of conduct will benefit park users. He said there have been some problems with littering at the park.
He said, “A couple of older teens are smoking out there in the skate park.”
Spalding County policy prohibits smoking on the skate park grounds. Those who wish to smoke must do so in the parking lot.
Other park users sometimes stand in the middle of the complex, getting in the way of those who wish to skate.
“We’re trying to foster a good relationship so that skaters will take care of the park and be better citizens,” Greene said.
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