Harrisburg, Oregon finished
December 1st, 2008 by kilwag
We’ve got some shots of the newly finished Dreamland creation in Harrisburg, Oregon skatepark courtesy of Ryan Hass. It’s a 10,000 square foot facility, which is roughly three square feet per citizen of Harrisburg! It’s set to open on Sunday December 7th at 2:00pm. The location is on the south side of Smith Street, between the fire station and 6th Street.
Harrisburg, Oregon Skatepark Plans
Harrisburg, Oregon Skatepark Under Construction.
Construction Video pulled from YouTube.
Harrisburg, Oregon Skatepark Ccompleted.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Looks fun. Another Dreamland gem, awesome. Props to Ryan for the great photos.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:56 pm
It’s funny how much those construction photos make it look like it’s just an addition to Battle Ground.. with the raised railroad tracks and rural-industrial buildings behind them.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
DAMN! They are good.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Dec 7th? Maybe we should mount a sneak attack.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
looks like tigard
December 1st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Yes MC, sneak attack along with Myrtle Creek and Matt’s.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:23 pm
grew up going to church right across the street and my dad started his first dental practice across the tracks, cant wait to skate it!
December 1st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
dreamland got this sucker done weeks ahead of schedule they rule! see ya there Will (although i dont know who ya are)
December 1st, 2008 at 9:06 pm
For those of you planning on poaching you better watch out for the cop shop that is 200 feet away.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:57 pm
lezbos @ harrison bar on wens.. oh man
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm
only 76 miles from sutherlin. Im so there that myrtle creek park is getting kinda old and stale already anyway.haha
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Another skatepark all the way the hell out in Oregon or Washington state. Great. What are you guys doing out there to get such great parks built?
December 4th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
well skateparks take the edge off of being surrounded by so many damn trees. I think they should cut em all down and make ramps and skateboards with em.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
cant wait till sunday its gana be pimp
December 6th, 2008 at 4:16 am
we skated it on friday on the way up to portland its open now. its fun mostly smallish except for that one wall in the bowl(it has a little vert). its got a few flow lines though.
December 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
the park is fun, yeh for dreamland and the guy who came up with concrete!
December 7th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
went to the opening today the parks super sick
but small and lots of little kids
December 7th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
school hours are a go… and the park is full of options and lines
December 9th, 2008 at 10:54 am
This is sweet! I live a half mile up the road and I’m stoked. This thing is basically in my backyard.
December 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Repsonse to Milo Janus:
I just hope that the “skaters & bikers” help keep this park as nice as the day it opened. The trash is already a huge problem. On a lighter note: As a parent, I love to go watch the cool tricks the skaters & bikers are learning and liked how each of them took turns and repsected the space of others 
A very LARGE cash donation made this skatepark possible from a very cute old couple
December 9th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
booshay: make sure there are plenty of trash cans, a major problem with skateparks are the lack of em.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Glad you are enjoying our skatepark. When we discussed rules for the park, many wanted it closed during school hours since the grade school playground surrounds the skatepark. I argued that skateboarders deserved an opportunity to show they can act responsibly around the young kids. It was decided to try keeping the skatepark open during school hours, but the rules are scheduled to be reviewed in a few months and it is possible the skatepark could be closed during school hours if we get complaints. So far I have received two complaints about language at the skatepark during school recess. Also, I heard a skateboarder told a young kid he should drop out of school “like me” so he could skateboard during the day. Please help me help you by acting responsibly around the youngsters. -City Administrator
December 17th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Is the school property not separated from the park? I mean, are the school kids not supervised and they just wander into the skatepark during recess? I’m not saying people at the skatepark shouldn’t be responsible but it seems you aren’t really addressing the root of the problem. Also, who is going to determine what jokes are not appropriate when there is no racism or profanity involved? I’m speaking of the dropping out of school comments.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
The root of the problem is the location the City decided would be a good spot for the skate park. The school is possibly a good idea only if there is enough space to ensure that no balls are flying into the skate park. If there is enough space then it should not be a problem to keep the children out of the park while they are the responsibility of the school to monitor. “big fences make the best neighbors.” Not condoning vulgarity around children but “I heard a skateboarder told a young kid he should drop out of school “like me” so he could skateboard during the day.” is kinda funny to me. Smart kid telling on him to he is going somewhere.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Apprently my response to this post is being censored.
Mr. Cleeton - please see your email. I sent to you what I intented to be posted here. It will be clear why the administrator of this web site does not want the skateboarders to see my comments.
Again, call on me if I can help. I wish you the best but expect you will experience the worst.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I was riding the Harrisburg park the other day when a mass of kids came out , for recess presumably. then amongst the mass of kids was a line with helmets, skateboards and rollerskates walking into the park. I am going to guess it was a P.E. class maybe. When I was in school P.E. meant Physical Education and the teacher that was escorting the class led the kids into the park and turned them loose with no instruction at all. The older skaters that had been riding the park didn’t even try and fight the mass of kids, we took to riding the main deep bowl in turns, that is until the teacher in her infinite wisdom decided that she should coax the kids to slide into the bowl on their butts and try riding it, even though we had taken refuge in the bowl so the kids could use the rest of the park. the teacher was clueless and uneducated about the manners of using a skatepark and created a very bad environment for all people riding the park. The other big issue in my opinion is the 300 hundred kids lined up along the fence chanting “crash,crash,crash”. those kids all need a good lesson in manners. I am not in support of anybody’s bad manners at a skatepark, but When 300 kids swarm the skatepark and show no respect, then the legitimate users have a slight tendency to get upset and possibly make comments that are unrestrained or improper………………………………………..
So sum it up, Mr. Cleeton at what point do the kids and teachers become responsible for their untoward actions in a city park that is off school grounds?
December 18th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Having a skatepark to ride at recess. Man, that would have been my dream elementary school. Let’s build places to ride at every school. Skate terrain is the new “monkey bars.” And, nweyesk8, give it some time, things will eventually chill. Maybe the new Harrisburg elementary mascot can be the “Rippers” or “Shredders”.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:02 am
nweyesk8 - are you saying the kids didn’t have manners?
I find that so funny coming from a skateboarder.
Are you saying they didn’t follow the rules? Again, skateboarders who are given skateparks as bribes to stop trespassing and vandalising private property calling for the enforcement of rules is funny.
I agree that the school teachers should have instructed the kids in the “rules” of skatepark riding.
So you tell me - what are those rules?
December 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Here are the rules that I wrote when my skatepark opened.
http://www.skatetn.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=1817
I can’t see that forum. I guess it is still there. One of the reasons I was banned from that forum was becasue I dared to post these rules.
Enjoy.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:19 am
there should not be rules for a skate park, be a man and run a little kid to the ground. I bet he will never get in your way again. as for kids flowing into the park.. what the fuck do you expect they live in fucking Harrisburg. what the hell else are you gonna do there except get hickeys from school girls and smoke meth? I think it is rad that they can skate during school, and when did kids have manners anyway.. it seems that kids are growing up faster and wearing push up bra when they are in 2nd grade. open your eyes and smell the cheddar. i am sure if you fastened a spike on the nose of your board that would also scare them away and possibly pop some bike tires in the process. or just shit in your hand and chase them around. Oh or give them stickers and tell them you leave, all kids love stickers, and candy, and bid brown vans with no windows.. keep your eyes open children me and DaddyYo are gonna rape your tight asses.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Colinwalshrules - try to respond like an adult for once.
Daddy Yo - I deleted your post because as usual, you jumped on the opportunity to be inflammatory instead of just offering a sincere reply to a sincere request. You are an adult, stop acting like one of “the punks” that you seem to delight in deriding.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:35 am
There is someone named DaddyYo on this site, I have been typing with my eyes closed lately, so I hadn’t noticed. Well that’s not true, I had noticed but have chosen to ignore the poop that pops from his pie hole, life is better that way.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:47 am
kilwag - you delete my post but you allow Colin to post that sick, twisted and profane “opinion”?
I am corresponding with Mr. Cleeton by email and told him to look fro the type of response he would get if he tried to do anything that restricted skateboarders from doing whatever they wanted.
Colin Walsh’s response is a good example. I guess that’s okay with you since it’s not inflamitory in your opinion.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
As a therapist on SnA, each of my patients gets individualized treatments. Not all mental illnesses can be treated the same way.
I think in your case, instead of banning you, I’m just going to randomly delete comments that irritate me at any particular moment.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Rules at Harrisburg.
http://www.northwestskater.com/harris1051rulesB12708.jpg
December 18th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Hey gang, I’m going to be getting on a plane in a short bit, a lot of these comments have been getting picked up for moderation, so expect a day’s delay before the next batch get’s approved. It’s a long flight.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Fine, whatever sort of censorship makes you feel like you are a revolutionary instead of the man.
I’m sure you are proud for your readers to know that you would rather allow Colin to promote child rape rather than to allow me to promote good behavior at skateparks.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Booshay – don’t count on the users to keep the park nice. Skaters and bikers follow a punk ethic and it is part of that ethic to destroy everything that you feel are entitled to. Your park will be trashed and tagged. Count on it. It won’t matter how many trash cans you put out or where you out them. To skateboarders, using trash cans is just bending to the will of the “man” so they won’t be used.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Bruce – Why in the world did you locate a skatepark near an elementary school? Was it your intent to have your children emulate the worst aspects of society?
Take a look at the language on this web site. Then go to the Thrasher web site and read their forums. That is how skateboarders talk and that is the culture they promote.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Why did you argue for skateboarders deserving an opportunity to act responsibly around children or anyone else? Have they ever acted responsibly before? Does culture of skateboarding advocate responsible behavior? No, it promotes exactly the opposite. They will not thank you for the skatepark you provided for them. They will spit in your face instead and claim they are being treated unfairly when you insist that they not spit in your face.
You could have easily gone to Portland and seen the Burnside skatepark to see what you were bringing into your neighborhood.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I would strongly urge you to close the park during school hours. Who do you think is going to skate there during the day except people who don’t have jobs? Do you think unemployed adults, drop-outs and drug addicts are really going to care about what they say to children?
Jeez, does the zoning law in your town allow adult bookstores next to day care centers? It is pretty much the same thing.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
You can see by the replies here that skateboarders are not going to take responsibility for themselves or other skateboarders. To do so would be conforming to the rules of society and, as skateboarders, they are revolutionaries, punks and anarchist.
You ask that the skateboarders control the foul language and they blame you for not separating them from the kids as the root of the problem. They require you to take action to allow them to be punks and blame you for asking that they not be punks around the kids. They don’t have the ability to know what is civil behavior. They are suffering from 40 years of moral relativism. They don’t believe you have the right to require them to not be punks around children.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The skaters think you should be more concerned about insuring the kids don’t prevent balls from going into the skatepark than the negative influence their punk behavior has on the children. They think it is your responsibility to protect the kids from them.
I skate at my local skatepark a lot. If you think that skateboarders are going to thank you for their skatepark by being responsible for themselves, other local skateboarders and visiting skateboarders –you are mistaken. Anti-social behavior including revolutionary politics, sexual perversions, drugs and alcohol are a big part of skateboarding culture. It is not going to be any different in your town.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
The skaters think you should be more concerned about insuring the kids don’t prevent balls from going into the skatepark than the negative influence their punk behavior has on the children. They think it is your responsibility to protect the kids from them.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I skate at my local skatepark a lot. If you think that skateboarders are going to thank you for their skatepark by being responsible for themselves, other local skateboarders and visiting skateboarders –you are mistaken. Anti-social behavior including revolutionary politics, sexual perversions, drugs and alcohol are a big part of skateboarding culture. It is not going to be any different in your town.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I have to vote in Collin’s favor on this one, his comments are so over the top, mostly, how could you begin to take serious his rant involving child rape. In my opinion, He is mocking you and your seemingly unending anger that the whole world doesn’t share your exact opinion.It is to the point that if I see your name atop a post, I carefully sidestep it for the pile of steaming crap it usually tends to be and carry on with my life absent your smell upon my shoe.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Kilwag, you rock. I am paying attention.
I am simply clearing things up. Here are two relevant facts for Bruce:
The Concrete Wave Skatepark in Nashville does not belong to anyone implying ownership in these comments. Many people were involved with the construction of that city park. (though I was not one of them and am certainly not implying so)
SkateTn.com did not ban anyone for posting theoretical park etiquette rules. The person banned was exiled twice for attitude and poor personal interactions. And such interactions are actually present in the linked thread. (as if they weren’t apparent here on SnA)
This person is completely irrelevant to your situation and no credibility should be given to him. Ever. About anything. I’m sure your time is valuable, but you are interacting with a false persona who has zero expertise on skating and skaters. Continued interaction will only lengthen the life of this false persona, and quite possibly result in claims of ownership of your town’s park as well. Ties with this person can quite possibly damage any future relations with park builders for your city.
Good luck with the new park. It looks fun and I hope to skate it some day.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Skateboarding is not for children. I would recommend that you close the skatepark during the day and segregate the age groups at other times. If your skatepark is not supervised, does not have a fence and does not have good site lighting then you can expect the problems that I described and you won’t be able to do anything about it.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I can assure you that, when the skatepark becomes such a liability that it has to be closed, you will be attacked for your support by the citizens you represent and the skateboarders you tried to accommodate.
I am sorry the sport of skateboarding is the way it is. But it is a fact and you, as a city official, have the responsibility to protect your citizens and their children.
I wish you the best of luck.
December 18th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
wow rain/snow sucks I wish I could go skate harrisburg today. IM not sure if it would be a great idea to drive up to portland to skate dos tomorrow?.
Ive been known to pick up garbage at a skate park. I keep a broom in my car to sweep it up if it needs it. Sometimes I bring old towels and shirts to dry the parks if they are wet. I have bucketed and cleaned a few pools in my time. I wouldnt mind if there were no kids in a skate park but I am not above helping them learn some of the basics like 50-50 grinds or rock to fakie. you should at least try to be nice to people and not judge them as a group or sterotype all of em. I thought I was insane but apparently I am fairly well balanced. Wow! have a nice day and dont forget to SKATE AND DESTROY. HAHA
December 18th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Nik – who says you are the arbiter of “facts”. You don’t even live in Nashville or skate at the Nashville skate park. In fact, the owner of SkateTN doesn’t skate there anymore and I would say that a majority of the people posting in the linked thread no longer skate there. I never said nor implied that I owned the Nashville skatepark. You are a liar and an idot.
I was banned from the SkateTN for the same reason that I being censored here. Skateboarders just don’t like to admit that they are punks when someone calls them punks and points out their punk behavior. If you tell them they are punks they will be all insulted and act like punks to punish you for calling them punks. Or, they act like Eddie Haskell. You post is a fine example of that technique.
Do you really think a city official is going to be concerned about communicating with me for fear that skatepark builders might not like him? Grow up, dufuss.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Mr. Bruce Cleeton,
I use the Harrisburg park regularly, since it opened I have ridden 4 of the 5 dry days, and I have to ask that you ignore DaddyYo as he in no way defines or represents skaters, as he is a self admitted non-skater. He doesn’t even live in Oregon and has no clue what he is talking about. I think if you were to peruse his comments, both here and elsewhere, you would see he in no way expresses any positiveness and holds a very dim view of life in general. True, there are derelicts amongst the skateboarding population, but I think that concept holds true for virtually any grouping of persons. To say every adult skater is a jobless drug abuser is absurd, some of us make it a conscious decision to buck the trends of material pursuit in exchange for a life of skateboarding. That doesn’t automatically make us bad people or even bad role models. Every person is an individual and shouldn’t be judged based on the actions of others. I have skated with a lot of great people in TN and so I generally think of skaters from that area in high regard. I choose to single out DaddyYo for his actions and statements, not his choice of social peers. He has continuously made inflammatory statements in an effort to pick verbal fights or try and put down people he has little or no knowledge of.
Red and Dreamland built you a great park and I have seen many skaters from around the Willamette Valley using it since it was opened. I have personally been spending money at the local G.S. Market, the little drive up coffee trailer next door and the Mexican restaurant close by. I intend to spend more money and time in your town, when the weather clears, and would be very disappointed to find it locked during viable skating hours.
I would also encourage a program for your younger school kids that includes learning about skatepark etiquette before dragging a class full of kids into the skatepark, if for no other reason than to promote better safety amongst the class that is using the park, especially while the public is also allowed to use it in conjunction.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
This B.S. is not funny anymore it is just sad and pathetic. WE get it you hate yourself and skateboarders please go somewhere else. Sorry I keep falling into the troll trap. Im going to logoff and read a book.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Sorry, forgot my quotes, but they’re here in the shortened version:
“Here are the rules that I wrote when my skatepark opened.”
Park doesn’t belong to the quotee. It’s a city park.
“One of the reasons I was banned from that forum was becasue I dared to post these rules.”
Not at all a reason quotee was banned.
No lies. Pure facts. I’m not an “idot” either. I’m nobody.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Wow, I must really be making a point if so many people have to write to ask that I be ignored. I don’t have a “dim view of life in general.” I have a dim view of skateboarders because they have earned the view I have.
I started my skatepark and three others and ride my skateboard more than you do. I do not call myself a skateboarder because I do not want to be associated with skateboarders.
When I say “my” skatepark I mean “the skatepark where I ride”. Just as I say this “my” country I don’t mean I own it.
I did not say “every” adult skate was anything. I said those that are what I described are the way I described. So you are saying that kids should emulate your “lifestyle” choice and drop out of school and reject materialism to be a skateboarder? That’s what you consider a good role model?
Mr. Cleeton can be sure to receive the same treatment I am receiving very soon if he does anything you don’t like.
Nweyesk8 is making an effort to act like an adult in his response. It would be great if everyone followed his lead. But you can see that he is attacking me for daring to point out the skaters contribution to the problems at the skatepark.
The “I’m spending money in your town so I deserve to do what I want” is another common response when skaters get called out for their bad behavior. Add that to the list including “not all skateboarders are punks” and “I’m just expressing myself, man” and “at least I’m not waxing down the curbs at City Hall” and “I’m an athlete and deserve a place to practice my sport”.
I agree that a program dedicated to teaching young people how to use a skatepark would be a valuable thing to have. Perhaps a mandatory rules and behavior orientation for adults would help as well. Everyone is free to use the Skatepark Etiquette list that is linked to this thread.
December 18th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Dan - thanks for the photograph of the rules.
Looks like nweyesk8 didn’t see this one:
“Use prohibited during school hours if the facility is being used by the school district.”
So it looks like he needed to learn the rules more than did the PE teachers or the kids that were skating in the skatepark the day he was so annoyed.
December 18th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Do we get credit for this free debate class? This is better than the learning annex. Seems pointless though. I am amazed at how prolific this guy is. Do you do anything else besides sharpening your debate skills on the interweb? I better go to that job interview now. you know out in the real world?
December 18th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
daddyo said–”Anti-social behavior including revolutionary politics, sexual perversions, drugs and alcohol are a big part of skateboarding culture. It is not going to be any different in your town.”
The last time I check skateboarding is a big part of the “skateboarding culture”
but man this stuff is golden. good material IM going to copy and paste it all and make a funny DIY punk rock fanzine filled with drugs and sexual perversion.thanks for the good material.
PS I still think you are totaly insane. seek help. now. before you pop. I am worried about you it sounds like you are very close to the edge of sanity.
December 18th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
omg
December 18th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
does anybody actually read all this crap?
December 18th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
usa!
December 18th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
@Danimal - you know someone is a complete loser when they take the time to stick their nose in a skateparks business 2000 miles away.
Flush the turd! RIP skate and annoy…
December 19th, 2008 at 9:20 am
January 19th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
“Anti-social behavior including revolutionary politics, sexual perversions, drugs and alcohol are a big part of skateboarding culture. It is not going to be any different in your town.”
I think you DaddyYo are forgetting much of society and the media reflects this upon all of us….it’s not just skaters. Wow, some of us actually grew up, bought houses, had kids, pay taxes, hold good jobs, still skate and advocate for skateboarding, still latch on to the punk ethics…DIY… while continuing to question the likes of DaddyYo.
Is this guy a troll or just talking to himself?
January 19th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
He was a troll that is no longer welcome here. He’s been effectively kicked out.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
The only rules at a park should be having fun! Some ppl have fun talking shit and some ppl have fun being candy asses but a park is there for fun So drop the egos and the who is right and who is wrong shit and GO SKATE! I for one am jealous cause i hear the HB park has is open all night like our park used to be. Thanks for your time.
P.S. U guys should quit censorring the site! I hate some1 thinking for me and telling what’s appropriate and what isn’t and it seems to just lend a “locals only” vibe to the site. I will always speak what’s on my mind cause that’s the Aumsville way!see you all at the park
February 10th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I doubt you will see us at the aumsville park. There is hardly ever anyone there when we go. we are skate ninjas we take what we want from there and head up the road to portland. lights again would be good though. harrisburg has lights so does beavertron. The park in san francisco does to you dont even have to skate there you can lurk in the shadows with a 40 ounce. Its not really a good time of year to skate after dark in oregon though, it gets a little cold and wet. Don’t the zombies come out after dark in aumsville?
February 10th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
We just had a fun session at the Aumsville park Saturday.
I don’t censor fro the most part. There were two people who just couldn’t get along with anyone and were here primarily here to start shit talking. I gave them both ample warning and a chance to knock it off, but they decided to act like infants instead.