[CGC] A meeting and some news articles

[Administrator]

MEETING

- A public informational meeting regarding the paving of Chesterfield Ave., 
Draper Ln., parts of Water St., and Homewood Ave. will be held on Thursday, 
August 23rd at 7 p.m. at the Goodwill Fire House Meeting Room.

NEWS

- Some folks in Northbrook have initiated a petition to allow sub-meters for 
water that does not return to the sewer system (i.e., lawn sprinklers) so it 
can be discounted on the sewage portion of the water and sewer bill.  See 
the CGC web site for more details.

- Skateboarding Banned In Much Of Eastern Shore Town.  Link to Story on the 
CGC web site.

- Bummer, dude! Town limits skateboarding, By Ted Bond, Star-Democrat Staff 
Writer

"CENTREVILLE - The Centreville Town Council has restricted skateboarding in 
Centreville.

The council voted 3-0 Aug. 2 to approve an ordinance that bans skateboarding 
on any sidewalks, streets, roadways or posted area within the town limits.

Anyone who violates the ordinance could face a fine of no more than $250. 
The ordinance, however, does not prohibit skateboarding in play areas or 
open spaces or on private property with permission of the owner. The 
ordinance will become effective Aug. 22.

The council has debated the possibility of such an ordinance for eight 
months, following a recommendation by the Centreville police that one be 
passed. The police had responded to numerous complaints from residents about 
kids skateboarding down sidewalks and streets and in front of businesses.

The council members met twice with local skateboarding youth in that time, 
most recently May 10, when the members said they were amenable to reopening 
the Mill Stream skate park so long as they obeyed the rules.

However, Council President Norman Pinder and Council Member Frank Ogens both 
said at the June 21 town meeting that they had seen picnic tables and other 
items at the park set up for skateboarding stunts.

Ogens said he had seen kids skateboarding at the park, which has been closed 
for some time, and that they were 'destroying the fence.'

That set in motion the construction of a skateboard ordinance.

At the Aug. 2 meeting, Roby suggested the ban be restricted to the central 
business district along Liberty and Commerce streets so kids could still 
skateboard. Ogens disagreed.

'I have a problem with the kids being in the street anywhere. Where I live 
(Symphony Village), it's an older population. Their reaction time isn't as 
good, their sight isn't as good. It becomes an issue,' Ogens said.

Ogens and Roby both said they would like for the ordinance to be expanded to 
include scooters, but no action was taken on the suggestion.

The ordinance that will soon go into effect had been amended to be more 
lenient than the original draft, which prohibited kids from skateboarding in 
all play areas and open spaces as well. Pinder said he had asked Town 
Manager Bob McGrory to make the appropriate changes before the second 
reading.

'We don't want (skateboarding) taken away from them 100 percent.' Pinder 
said."

Reader Comments:

From: Tom ChandlerDate: 8/14/2007 9:19:28 AM
I think this is a HUGE mistake... Of course the kids are using picnic tables 
and other objects for skate ramps- take away their only area for using the 
skateboards and they will use anything they can find. The politico's wanted 
to close the park because it was getting trashed, instead of addressing the 
real issue of lack of supervision. The town and local governments are quick 
to start new and bigger programs, and then whine and complain when the youth 
destroy property. Given no outlet, and especially no positive adult 
role-models, and they will always do that. If the town (and I don't mean the 
town government, but rather the CITIZENS) would open their eyes and realize 
that all the kids need is a place to let out some energy, and more 
importantly some concerned adults to get involved in their lives and mentor 
them, then this whole thing would be a non-issue. Instead of blowing hot air 
at town-council meetings, and coming up with new and more restrictive ways 
to limit the creative output of the youth, maybe the community members 
should take a few minutes of their precious time to sit down at the skate 
park and provide some supervision and who knows, maybe even get to know some 
of the kids... If the adults in the community would come down from their 
soap-boxes and spend some time getting into the kids lives instead of 
complaining about every destructive behavior, then real change would occur. 
Closing parks and restricting activity will only result in more and more 
'crime.' Being a positive influence in the life of a child can and will make 
a community-wide difference.

Town commissioners- open the parks, close your yaps, get out of your comfort 
zones and make a real difference in the community- after all, isn't that why 
you were put into those office?