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May 10, 2013
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
Page 7
Compromise Possible In OC Skate Park Controversy
By JOANNE SHRINER
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN CITY – After hearing from locals turning out against the planned reduction of hours at the Ocean Bowl Skate Park, the Mayor and City Council agreed to work toward a compromise. During a budget wrap-up on April 19, the council voted to have the skate park operate Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend during its normal hours, which is open seven days a week during daylight. The changes proposed begin the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend when it would continue to be open on weekends, holidays and all Worcester County school days off only. The skate park will be shut down during the months of January and February completely under the current plan. The reduction in hours will save the town approximately $20,000. During Monday evening’s Mayor and Council legislative session, lifelong downtown Ocean City resident Debi Thompson Cook said the skate park is a major part of her family, which is full of skateboarders who hold year-long skate passes. “You will lose the income from the year-round pass holders if you close down the skate park for a good chunk of the year,” she said. “For the sake of $20,000, it just seems so shortsighted to me.
Reducing the Ocean Bowl Skate Park’s hours of operation and closing it in January and February would save the city about $20,000. Photo by Shawn Soper
There are so many kids and young adults … that need that skate park and give them somewhere productive to go.” Cook added the council should take into consideration the Ocean Bowl’s employees as well. “The employees there work really hard with no benefits … so I think the skate park is pretty cost effective,” she said. “I just really want you to reconsider this and what you’re doing.” Realizing a line was about to form of those in opposition to the skate park operation being reduced, Councilman Joe Mitrecic interjected with a negotiation suggestion. “We have talked about different ideas with the skate park and we know it’s an insignificant amount
of money to some people, and it’s a large amount of money to other people. We have had … tremendous success with the mayor’s Surfing Committee and I ask the mayor to put a committee together that could do a summer study on the skate park,” he said. Mitrecic made a motion for a Skate Park Committee to be formed while leaving the hours reduced and January and February closed as part of the proposed budget. The committee would study the Ocean Bowl throughout the summer to try to come up with a compromise between the town and the community in the off-season, since the proposed changes would not take effect until September. “The Recreation and Parks De-
partment has all the numbers that support the modified hours, so if we have the stake holders involved then we can have a discussion and maybe we can come up with some sort of compromise,” he said. The council voted 6-1, with Councilman Brent Ashley opposed, to approve the formation of a Skate Park Committee. Ashley was in opposition believing the skate park should remain open within the proposed budget. Next, Mike Durkin, who will graduate from Worcester Preparatory School this month and leave for college next fall, came before the Mayor and City Council to voice his concerns in person after starting a petition in opposition of the Ocean Bowl closing a couple of weeks ago that had received 472 signatures as of Wednesday morning. “Every day after school, I go to the skate park when I can, and I go on the weekends where I see all my friends,” he said. “It is pretty important to me … for a lot of people the skate park is about freedom because it’s not an afterschool sport, it isn’t something disciplined or structured, it’s just a place kids can go to have fun. It is a safe environment. It is also a very creative atmosphere and for a lot of kids that don’t feel comfortable in school sports or after school activSEE PAGE 8
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