Anchorage Daily News

PALMER - A Palmer skateboard park that got off to a questionable start now has a questionable future.

The latest shiner in a series of black eyes was the theft late last month of one of the park's ramps. The ramp was noticed missing by a city employee on Aug. 25. About 18 inches high and 4 to 6 feet long, the ramp weighed an estimated 200 pounds and was bolted down.

Removing it was no easy task, said Palmer police Lt. Tom Remaley.

"This wasn't done by a couple of kids on bicycles," he said.

City manager Bill Allen said the ramp cost $1,500.

The park opened officially July 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music and optimism the city had created a place where young people could work off steam separate from organized sports. But it's gotten off to a rough start.

The theft is the most obvious problem. But there have also been complaints about noise and trash, Remaley said.

Even before it was built, the park came under fire with some residents and city council members complaining the project needed more public scrutiny. Mayor John Combs, the main proponent, has maintained the project was adequately noticed.

Allen said last week that if the problems persist, he may shut down the facility just two blocks off the main drag and only a stone's throw from the police department.

"If that park is abused, not kept free of trash, I'll close it down," he said.

"I drive by there two or three times a day, and I feel good to see 20 or 30 kids having a good time," but other times there's trash everywhere, he said.

He noted there are two trash cans and a trash bin within 30 feet of the park.

He also complained he often sees kids there, but not skateboarding.

"That was not built by the council to be a hangout," he said.

LOTS AT STAKE

While much of the labor and materials were donated from businesses and people throughout town, the city contributed $25,000 to help get the skate park built.

Another $50,000 gift came from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, Allen said. Closing the park could jeopardize foundation funding for future projects, Allen said.

"We have a lot of plans that need their assistance," he said.

With the park in some people's crosshairs, Combs said Monday he expects park users to apply some peer pressure to clean it up.

"The 97 percent who use the park properly should be doing more to get the 3 percent who are knuckleheads to clean it up," he said.

iT'S DIFFERENT IN WASILLA

Off to the west, similar complaints were heard when Wasilla opened its own skate park in 1998. But about three years ago, the city took steps to curb some of the problems.

Mike Rager, Wasilla's code compliance officer said the park still draws noise complaints but only about once or twice a week.

He says that low number is due mostly to the fact that Wasilla hired two park rangers to patrol the city's parks, ball fields and other areas where people gather outdoors.

This is the third year of that program.

The rangers work four days a week and get paid $16 an hour for shifts that start at noon every day and end at 10 p.m., when the park is supposed to close.

"We've made a large difference in the nuisance calls," ranger Joshua Grantland said. "And we've been praised by businesses in the area, telling us that vandalism and noise is down."

Trash also isn't the problem it once was and there are less older, ne'er-do-wells who prey on kids, he said.

"There was a guy there in his mid-30s," Grantland said. "I knew he was trouble from the start. He moved on."

WHAT THE KIDS SAY

On a sunny Monday afternoon less than a dozen kids were hanging out at Palmer's park, most using it as it is intended - skateboarding. One of the community's concerns, however, was evident with fast-food packages littered around the parking area.

The kids agreed there are problems, but said shutting it down would punish those who use the park properly.

"It's the punks who mess this up," said Dylan Blaylock, 15, of Palmer.

Chris Hartman, 19, said it's not just older kids. Some younger kids are troublemakers as well.

Mayor Combs said Monday he didn't want to close the park, but said the city may close it for a month to get the attention of the few who abuse it. If that doesn't work, the city might try two months, he said.

Combs didn't think the city would be interested in hiring park rangers like Wasilla has done.

As a last resort, the mayor said a webcam might be installed so anyone who is interested can see what's going on there.

Find T.C. Mitchell at www.adn.com/contact/tcmitchell or 352-6716.

REWARD OFFERED

• Mayor John Combs and Councilman Richard Best have put up a $250 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for stealing a skateboard park ramp.

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