You see the signs in most parking lots: No skateboarding. Sidewalks are off-limits, and youths who love the sport are finding fewer and fewer places to go.
With the grand opening of a new recreation center over the weekend, all that is about to change.
A few months ago a group of teenagers addressed the village complaining that they had no safe, or legal, place to skateboard or play in-line hockey.
“We didn’t have anywhere to go,” said Anthony Espinoza, 17. “We would try to sneak into places but we always got caught. We got busted one time by the chief of police and we asked him what can we do and where can we go. He said to take it up with the board (of trustees) and we did.”
Steve Gulden, recreation director, said he thought the incident provided a good opportunity to propose a facility for both sports.
“In-line hockey is a fast-growing sport in the United States. And as a village, we have to be prepared to provide a facility for these activities, as well as skateboarding,” he said.
The $8,000 facility consists of an asphalt overlay with a 6-foot chain-link fence that will encompass the area. It was completed two weeks ago. The hours will be 3 p.m. to dusk on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends with a facility supervisor present at all times.
Gear and helmets are mandatory, and users will be required to sign in and leave identification. There will be a small fee of 50 cents to $1.
“You can bet I’ll be spending a lot of time (at the center),” Espinoza said.