PRESS RELEASE

Skate Park Receives Grant-Work Begins on Lakeside Skate Park

For immediate release – March 31, 2004

WATKINS GLEN – Site preparation has begun for the Lakeside Community Skate Park, set in motion by the announcement of a $75,000 grant secured by state Sen. John R. Kuhl for the project.

The Watkins Glen village board gave its unanimous, final approval for the skate park at a special meeting Monday night, March 29. Site work will begin immediately.

Mary Suits, chairwoman of the Lakeside Community Skate Park Committee, is hopeful that the 18,000-square-foot facility will be completed and open for use by early August.

“We are grateful to Sen. Kuhl for providing the financial boost that the skate park project needed,” Suits said. “His support, combined with the support of the village board, means the youth of Schuyler County soon will have this park for which so many of them have been working for so long.”

Efforts to build a community skate park in Schuyler County began almost four years ago when families saw the need for a place for the youth of the county to safely enjoy skating, skateboarding and biking.

The skate park will be located on the site of former tennis courts in Clute Park, near the canal. The surface will be asphalt, and the design and placement of structures – or jumps – take into consideration a full range of skill levels.

“The kids who will actually be using the skate park told us what they wanted to see built there. With the help of nationally known experts, we think we’ve designed a skate park that everyone will enjoy safely,” Suits said.

Since the beginning, committee members also have been committed to a skate park that blends seamlessly with the existing park, Suits said.

Trails surrounding the skate park eventually will provide easy access for the many fishermen who enjoy the canal, and the area next to Seneca Lake will continue to be open for a variety of uses, including launching the fireworks seen by thousands every year at the Italian American Festival, Suits said. Benches and landscaping are part of the committee’s long-range plans for the area.

Crews from the village and Schuyler County will do the site work, under a shared services agreement already in place between municipalities in the county. Bids for the skate park equipment will be sought soon, village officials said.

An on-going fund-raiser, the collection of returnable cans and bottles, will resume April 10 and will continue the second Saturday of every month at Wright’s Beverages in Watkins Glen, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The skate park committee is operating under the umbrella of Watkins Glen Promotions, which allows the committee to request grants and accept tax-deductible charitable donations. Anyone interested in donating to the project is invited to contact Suits at 535-5511.

~End~

Monthly Bottle Drives to Benefit Skate Park Resume

The Lakeside Skate Park Committee resume its monthly Can & Bottle Drives on April 10, 9 a.m. - noon at Wright's Beverages, Franklin Street and South Avenue, Watkins Glen. Everyone is encouraged to donate returnable cans and bottles each second Saturday of the month to benefit the skate park project.

Last year, volunteer young people and their families raised more than $3,000 by collecting cans and bottlles for the deposit.

The Skate Park Committee's volunteer grant writers are now submiting proposals for public and private funding. Community support for the project is growing, with recent donations from the Watkins Montour Lions Club, Schuyler County Italian American Festival and the Leadership Schuyler Alumni.

Construction of the skate park will commence when funding is in place and will take approximaterly one summer to complete.

~End~

Hudson-Champlain Region Porsche Club of American Adopts Skate Park Cause

Patti Torre, Registrar, Hudson-Champlain Region Porsche Club of America contacted the Lakeside Skate Park Committee recently looking for a youth centered community project to donate to. The group hosts several events each season at Watkins Glen International speedway in Watkins Glen. Patti said, "We have the opportunity to raise money while in Watkins Glen and want to donate it to a youth centered project inside the community. The club members enjoy their time spent here immensely and are real fans of Watkins Glen in general. The Lakeside Skate Park project suits our needs perfectly!"

The Hudson Champlain Region is part of the PCA Zone 1 and includes the New York counties of Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington and Berkshire county in Massachusetts.

The group holds its first Watkins Glen International speedway event May 19-20, 2004. Many thanks to Patti and the Hudson-Champlain Region Porsche Club of American for their support! Check them out at www.pca.org/hcp/Events.htm

~ End ~