Last Saturday there were two events coincidentally planned for the same day at Portland’s Pier Park. One was a neighborhood cleanup championed by Mark Conahan and the other was some sort of Pier Park locals appreciation event organized by Chris Nukala. There was a short speech and some short spot-driven contests with plenty of giveaways. I arrived late to the cleanup and and had to leave early and in a hurry, due to, well, you know. I didn’t get any decent shots, but Michael from The Skateboard Archives was there snapping away, so I’ll link if he posts anything. Also, GVK cameras were on the scene for a little while. Otherwise, this is what you get. UPDATE: More cleanup coverage on EPM. UPDATE: More coverage on The Skateboad Archives.

I got suckered into leading the skatepark cleanup at Pier Park again. Come on down and help with graffiti removal and trash pickup around the skatepark. Here are the details: Project Date and Time: 4/19/2008 – 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Site Address: N. St. John Street & N. James Street Portland Directions to Site: Cross the St. Johns Bridge at Highway 30. Turn left on Lombard and right on St. Johns. The Park will be on your left at North James St. Parking/Meeting Location: Ample street park available along N. James St. Meet at the covered picnic area. Clean graffiti at the skatepark. There will be a small barbeque after the Pier Park Pick-Up for volunteers. Snacks and beverages available during the event. Following are some general items to keep in mind when planning your participation: * Please bring work gloves. * This event will take place rain or shine! Dress appropriately for the weather, but plan on long pants, long sleeves and sturdy shoes or boots, even if it’s warm. * Mark tools or other items you bring with your name and phone number. * Parents/Group Leaders must accompany and supervise children. Hope to see you there.

The City of Vancouver, Washington/Clark County Parks (Yeah, I’m confused too) has set up a web page for finding all their (sanctioned) skate spots and parks. It’s got links to pages with specific information about each spot, such as operating hours, directions and individual contact information for concerns an information. A lot of park districts have web sites with information about skateparks, but usually they aren’t centrally collected and you have to know the name of the park to find it. So, hats off to Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation, even if the supervisor didn’t want to use one of my photos in a newsletter with a credit to Skate and Annoy because he thought we promoted cursing and drinking alcohol. True story. In a moment of weakness I agreed to let them use it and credit it to me personally, all for free of course. What was I thinking? They ought to thank Parks Communications Specialist Jilayne Jordan for presenting a more human and less robot-with-stick-in-orifice face to the public. Just so we’re straight here, Jordan lobbied for using the picture, and she’s been helpful to the Pacific Community Skatepark (obviously) and to Skate and Annoy as well in providing…

There’s a Marginal Way benefit on Thursday night in Seattle. Marginal Way has the best PR agency out there. It seems like there’s a benefit for MW at least once a month. This one is courtesy of Sleestak.

Okay, I volunteered for the skatepark cleanup again. Last year we did graffiti abatement and trash pickup around the park. It’s a four hour gig and your high-schooler can get community service credit – the National Honor Society requirement for example. You can sign up at their website. Last year they had lunch for us and they need to know how many people are planning to show up.

Skate Daily noticed that although Rick McCrank is active in Peta print ads and product giveaways, he’s still got a suede shoe model, unlike another Peta collaborator, Ed Templeton. Also in this month’s Print Magazine is a half a page on design variations in Nick Hornby’s book Slam, the one that features a protagonist that regularly converses with Tony Hawk in head, the same way Clarence Worley talks to Elvis, I mean “Mentor.”

Everyone knows the story of skateboarding in Philadelphia’s Love Park. A group called Franklin’s Paine (web site is a nightmare to navigate, no explanation anywhere of the group’s origins) has been trying to raise money for a street park to serve as a replacement for the community that was displaced at Love. So which is the more noble fight, the battle to Free Love Park or the fight for a new park built specifically for skateboarders? An agency called Red Tettemer has gotten involved in the PR and has dubbed the marketing campaign From Love Comes Paine. They’ve built a moving (but headache inducing) web site that at times seems more like a masturbatory exercise in Flash than it does a useful resource, low bandwidth version included. The design of the park is skate plaza, but taken to a more pedestrian inclusive direction than Kettering. It’s more than just landscaping, and hopefully there won’t be a huge DC logo anywhere. It looks like they are making some progress, but with $1 million down and $5 million more needed to break ground, a 2008 dig seems unlikely given that fundraising started in 2003. Do you call it a “dig” or a…

I’m late and I’m proud. We missed Black History month, but this board is a good excuse to wrap up some loose links I was trying to figure out what to do with. It’s a limited edition skateboard collaboration between WRG Magazine and Series Skateboards. The crossword answers are all black skaters. I can say “black” because it’s not African American History month. Only 100 decks were produced, and some still appear to be available. You can try out the crossword online in a slick presentation with clickable video cheats. Nice touch. They are giving a board away with a raffle donation. Although the deadline has passed, the links are still active. I can’t seem to find a picture of the deck anywhere besides my original source, Josh Spear. I’ve been sitting on this Washington City Paper article about Darren Harper for a year. I couldn’t figure out what to say about it immediately so it got lost in the shuffle. I had forgotten about it until I got an email from his publicist saying “We are very interested in having Darren featured in your publication.” Err.. Ok. have you read our “publication?” Part of the press kit contained the…

Some skateboarders rallying support for a skatepark bond measure (Measure D) in Los Gatos, California had a bit of creative inspiration when the fashioned “Yes on D” signs out of broken skateboards and took to the streets to stump. this picture is from the Los Gatos Observer. Other skaters in Los Gatos experienced a little inspiration and possibly perspiration when they went on late night vigilante missions to “liberate” offending “No on D” signs. Unfortunately, someone destroyed a plant on one such mission, branding all skateboarders as “thuggish” and prompting neighbors to expect gangs of vegetation-hating freestylers overrunning the town. Even more unfortunate, some of the vigilantes may have been identified on video surveillance. Still even more unfortunate, the vote ended up going 2-1 against funding the skatepark. Opponents said it was too much money, and that the skateboarders might not use it. There is no silver lining in this cloud, but at least San Jose is only 12 miles away.

A lot of kids are scared of bowls. Judi Oyama shared a quick note on some lessons she helped organize for local kids at the Santa Cruz Skate Park. (Judi goes with the official two word spelling of skate park, making me break with every other time “skatepark” has appeared on this site. How do we get that change adopted?) Skate class with my buds. We had 11 kids signed up 10 showed and we had 15 on the waiting list. This photo is classic. Gary was showing the kids how to kick turn. We had many of them dropping into the small pool and learning the basics. Thanks Gary Holl, Eric and Patty for the help. Cool photo. I offer help to kids if they ask or I think they might be receptive, but taking time out to organize a formal event for the benefit of kids is more than I’m willing to do. Fortunately for Judi (and park locals who don’t need lessons), they are only doing it once every couple of months.