Dude, NIMBY! and the Frontside Rock and Roll Review

The Portland Tribune has an article about The Steel Bridge skatepark project. Not really noteworthy, but there are some funny comments left by the “community” of readers, starting off with a bang from a NIMBY complaining of rampant drug use, violence and assorted crimes. Some of them are actually valid, but most are just gross exaggerations of behavior that isn’t limited or necessarily promoted by skateparks. Some are downright fabricated, as they claim illegal activities at a park that isn’t even open yet! Let’s be honest, skateparks attract kids. Not all of those kids actually skate. If anything, it ought to make it easier for police to prevent crimes, if all the criminals will allegedly be drawn to skateparks like moths to flame. Actually, let’s make that more like pointed metal objects are drawn to an unsuspecting cartoon character with a large magnet unknowingly stuck in his pants.

UPDATE: Another article in Daily Journal of Commerce where the words landscape architecture loom large.

So far, the comment counteroffensive has been mostly civil, but pointed. The winner so far has to be “Fitz” who nicely sidestepped the first NIMBY’s knee-jerk reaction and took the author of the article to task for perpetuating stereotypes. I’m guessing this is the same Fitz that has appeared on this site, which would also make him half the staff of the Frontside Rock and Roll Review. While I curse them both for not hearing the call up, I can’t take issue with well written insights into skateboarding. Sure they could have taken the opportunity to to class up this joint a little, but Skate and Annoy does tend to attract a certain element intent on emphasizing the second half of our name. No, we’re not bitter or jealous… No use crying over spilt milk. You should check out the Frontside Rock and Roll Review. I might have to add it to our BFF club.

But the real point is…

As previously reported, the list of registered and thus qualified bidders for the upcoming Steel Bridge skatepark, and any other future skatepark for that matter, is limited to three builders. Make that four, actually, there was another hiding add Artifex to Dreamland, New Line and Wally Hollyday Design. I’m not sure why Airspeed isn’t on there, considering they just built a park here this year. Perhaps their paperwork expired. My point is, although I personally feel the flagship park should go to the local crew responsible for putting Portland on the skateboarding map (before Skate and Annoy, of course! – Wait, I kid! ) the paltry selection of authorized bidders doesn’t leave me feeling satisfied that we will get the best of all options. Where are the other names? We should be getting more input. Maybe they assume it will just go to Dreamland or someone else local and they feel it’s pointless to apply. Reading between the lines of the proposal requirements makes it seem far less than a done deal. I’ve heard that Dreamland works best in more off-the-cuff situations. I don’t know that formal proposals are their strong point. It’s quite possible that the final decision will not be made by skateboarders this time, whether they be street or bowl advocates. Of course, I am purely speculating, and we all know how useful that is!