Each day, Sandy Gay witnesses the activity surrounding Ortonville’s new Skate Park.
The Clarkston resident, 56, works as a babysitter in a home near the park at the corner of Ball and Cedar Streets in downtown Ortonville, and sees kids test their skateboarding skills. Gay said the youngsters using the park have been cooperative and do not distract her in any way.
‘I’m here every day, and I see the kids coming and going,? she said. ‘The kids aren’t causing me any trouble. Everybody’s been respectful.?
Local residents began using the Skate Park in May, after about 35 volunteers took more than 14 hours to assemble the equipment on Saturday, May 9.
Shortly after the landscape was mapped out, the park’s cement pad was poured last fall. James Lumber of Ortonville stored the equipment until the park was completed. The department raised approximately $40,000 to provide the first installment of equipment at the park.
Gay can already see the benefits it provides to local youngsters.
‘They’re at the park, and they’re not in the parking lots,? she said. ‘This is awesome and they seem to have a good time.?
Ortonville residents Fred and Sue Howard have lived across the street from the current Skate Park site for 40 years. While Sue Howard, 72, said the kids using the park have been cooperative, the residents adjacent to the park have issues with the skateboarding noise emanating from the park.
‘As far as I can tell, the kids have been fine, she said. ‘The only problem is the people near the Skate Park have to deal with a lot of noise. I don’t care what they said about cushioning. If there is, it’s not making much of a difference.?
The only concern Howard has regarding park users is the lack of proper equipment on the part of some of the youngsters.
‘Most of the kids wear protective gear, but some do not,? she said. ‘They should, because they do fall down, and hard.?
Just the same, Fred Howard, 73, said the skate park provides a good recreational opportunity for the kids in the community.
‘The kids get so much exercise,? he said. ‘You hear about all the overweight kids that are TV-prone ? this is the exact opposite.?
The youngsters using the Skate Park will soon have additional equipment to work with.
On June 23, Fred Waybrant, Director of the Brandon Township Recreation Department, won approval to begin ordering additional equipment for the park. He said the department hopes to have it installed by Aug. 7.
In recognition of the opening of the park, Waybrant has scheduled the department’s second annual skate festival for Aug. 9, featuring 15 live bands, including hip-hop, punk rock, indy rock and alternative rock. There will be a live skate show at the festival, which gets underway at 11 a.m. and lasts all day.
The festival will likely attract several local youngsters such as Kyle Christian, 12, of Ortonville, who said he goes to the park about once per week.
Christian said he is happy the park is in place, since there are a lack of other skating facilities in surrounding communities. However, he hopes the recreation department will add a half-pipe (which he said is comprised of two quarter-pipes coming together to form a half-circle) to make things more challenging.
‘It’s good for beginners, but they should build something for kids that already know how to skate,? he said.
Occasionally, Christian is joined at the park by his friend Adam Nail, 10, of Oxford. Like Christian, Nail is happy there is a local skating facility for youngsters to hang out.
‘It’s pretty cool,? he said.