From here (free signup required)

Support for possible Houma skate park grows
By MIKA EDWARDS
The Courier
HOUMA — The proposed Houma skate park drew a visible swell of support Wednesday night as more than 80 people filled a classroom at the Bayou Cane Volunteer Fire Department to find how they can help make it a reality.

Earlier this month, the grassroots organization behind the push for a local skate park held a similar meeting at Bayou Cane, but in stark contrast only three people attended.

The group has been working since last year to create a public skate park in Houma similar to one in Hammond.

Bayou Cane Fire Chief Jerry Gautreaux helped organized the effort after kids were sent to his station to do community service because they’d been ticketed for skating in public places in the city limits.

This time, the room was packed with young skateboarders, their parents and other concerned citizens, all hoping to begin formalizing a plan to build a skate park.

Many people expressed their desire to see a park built and their frustration with current laws that limit where people can skateboard in Terrebonne.

The idea for the skate park came after some downtown business owners complained that skaters are damaging their property. Skaters said trespassing laws and anti-skating ordinances essentially prohibit them from practicing their sport anywhere, and asked parish officials consider building a skate park.

Shari Champagne, a Houma resident, said her 14-year-old son Nicholas has received five tickets for skateboarding and spent most of his Tuesday in City Court, battling the latest one. A student at Evergreen Junior High, he could face 30 days in jail for skating in his neighborhood — something Champagne said is not against the law.

Skateboarders “are assumed to be punks because they have a skateboard in their hands,” she said. “They are not sitting at home doing drugs, but doing something that is hard.”

Some of the audience members traveled from New Orleans and Baton Rouge in support of the park. Brock Gomez, a BMX bike rider, said he’s seen a similar fight in the state capital for the last decade to no avail.

Gomez also stressed the need to make the park open to other forms of recreation, like BMX bikes.

“I’m trying to encourage you not to have a really good park that is public but only half of the population can use,” he said.

While several ideas were passed around for fund raising, such as creating shirts to sell to the public or hosting a barbecue, nothing official was established by the end of the hour-long meeting.

Organizers are still debating whether to seek nonprofit status, which would alter how they can get money for the park. If it becomes nonprofit, the park would be considered semi-private and some sources of money would be closed.

The large group did agree they should all go before the Terrebonne Parish Council to again push for a park. A smaller group of skateboarders went before the nine-member panel in October. After a brief presentation, the council directed Parish President Don Schwab and Parish Manager Barry Blackwell to look into the possibility of building a skate park, but the matter has not been mentioned at the council since.

The grassroots group left Wednesday night with an idea in mind and a plan to attend a future council meeting, though no official date has been set.

Following the meeting, a large group of skaters congregated outside the fire station, taking turns riding across the large parking lot.

Bryan Bowman, 17, who stood outside the station watching the skateboards, said he’s hopeful a local skate park will eventually exist.

“I think it’s a good possibility. It’s something everybody needs,” the Schriever resident said. “It’s going to require a change of some opinions. You are going to have to change their minds about skateboarders.”

Courier staff writer Mika Edwards can be reached at 857-2202 or mika.edwards@houmatoday.com.