See ya Fremont skatepark
By Matt Artz
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 at 1:03 pm in Fremont.
While I was talking to folks about the new water park yesterday, they told me that Fremont’s skate park is on its last leg and likely won’t be open next summer. It turns out that the park, which I didn’t know existed until Gus Morrison mentioned it on this blog, is a temporary facility. 
It was only designed to last for five years, but this is its ninth in operation.
That’s about all it can handle, Park and Rec Director Annabell Holland told me.
The Tri-City area doesn’t seem to have a lot going for it in terms of skateparks. Union City officials have said publicly that their skatepark has been a bust, and now Fremont will be sans park until a permanent one is built, possibly right next to the new water park.
For what its worth, some skater kids have taken a liking to the Argus parking lot. Sometimes they set barriers that block access, but it’s not a big deal. We also think they may be responsible for the pro gay-marriage scribbling in our cigarette smoking area.
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October 7th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
If the city built the existing skate park to be temporary, with a life span of five years, and its now in its ninth year, why isn’t there a replacement park already in place or ready to break ground in time for next year?
Planning for the permanent facility should have begun almost as soon as the original park was constructed so it would be ready to open when the other closed.
It sounds like the city isn’t sure what it will do and it definitely sounds like no skate park for next season. There goes one more outside activity to keep kids off the video games.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Matt’s comments re Union City comments about the failure of their skate park is irksome and IMHO, incomplete, anecdote-based reporting.
If you’re going to report *the facts* - stay on point with the local problem in Fremont. If you’re going to expand to include other relevant facts (such as how other cities have performed) then you gotta do the legwork to get a population of facts that makes your added facts valid. . . . . otherwise, you’re guilty of simply adding random facts, the selection of which could be considered bias on your part as a reporter.
For example - there’s a boatload of cities in the Bay Area that have wonderful operating skate parks. Take a drive over to Red Morton Community Center during any summer evening or during the softball season. The adjoining skate park is full of kids riding into the evening while mom or dad are playing softball. Greer park in Palo Alto comes to mind.
Your lone comment re Union City’s choice lends credibility to the direction Fremont Parks and Rec is headed - was that your intention Matt ?
October 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Hi B-box,
I mentioned Union City because I was at a Union City Council meeting when Deputy City Manager Tony Acosta acknowledged that the skatepark hasn’t been the draw they were hoping it would be. It’s more of kiddie skating park, not extreme enough for true skaters.
I imagine if Fremont were to put a skate park near a water park intended for younger kids, it would also be more of a kiddie skating park, and not one for older teens.
I don’t really get the rest of your comment. Most of these blog posts are fragments of facts that I find interesting or amusing. I don’t have time to write in-depth stories about everything happening in Fremont. Often times, if this info didn’t go into the blog, it would never get beyond my desk. Thanks for reading and commenting.
matt
October 11th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I take your point Matt. There probably should be a reasonable distinction between your comments in a BLOG versus a published newspaper. . . . and my thoughts really were coming from a perspective of the latter.
I look for balance and factual reporting from the mass media. I’m personally very sensitive to anything that smacks of a spin or opine mixed in with “facts” - as a student of journalism, I presume you get this point pretty clearly.