Hundreds of eager young skaters took to the redesigned ramps, rails and half-pipes at the Long Beach skate park located at 14th Street & Pacific Avenue on Sunday in a ceremony that marked an emotional and long-awaited moment of triumph for members of the community.
Eager young skaters were literally hanging on the fences as they patiently awaited the go-ahead to begin skating; and for good reason. Locals have been forced to seek out other parks for the past six months as the skate park was being redeveloped. Eventually, it was more than doubled in size and designed according to plans that were created in part by the very youngsters who skated the park this weekend.
“I’m amazed,” said 21-year old Chris McNealty, a regular at the skate park. McNealty and several friends live in very close proximity to the park but spent the last six months trekking as far as El Dorado Park or Bixby Park – a sizeable distance when your transportation is a skateboard – while waiting for their homecourt to be redeveloped.
“We helped and this is what we get,” McNealty said, surveying the new park with wide eyes. “This is lovely right here.”
The City Council this week will hear a request to rename the park in honor of Michael K. Green, a popular skater who was a regular at the site before he was killed as an innocent bystander caught in the midst of Long Beach gang violence in 2005.
“Michael Green was an inspiration to a lot of the skaters that are here today,” said Councilmember Robert Garcia, who spearheaded the redesign effort and will bring the motion to rename the park after Green before the Council this week.
Many of those skating on Sunday knew Green and consoled his mother as she struggled with her words at the microphone. She gathered herself and brought the crowd to cheers as a group that has skated together, mourned together and created together took their first ride in honor of their fallen friend.
A large group of local skaters who were a part of the creative process have become an inseparable group of friends, and joined together with former Councilmember Mike Donelon to get involved with the redesign process several years ago – attending Council meetings and lobbying for support from all around the neighborhood. Donelon considers many of them as part of his family and regularly has them over to his house.
“What’s important is that what happened here today made them a part of their community and they’ve now had that opportunity,” Donelon said, excusing himself to flag down a passing skater and ask if he was planning on coming to his house that night.
“More than anything, I’m just proud of the kids,” Donelon said. “What we’ve done is made a contribution to the community that’s going to benefit everyone for the good, and have a profound effect for years to come.”
Click here to read our policy on covering the Long Beach City Council.
