About 30 people turned out Wednesday (Aug. 7) evening to officially break ground on a long-awaited skate/BMX park next to the Community Center on Pine Street.
Both Skate Park Committee Chairman Paul Roy and First Selectman Kurt Miller thanked the parent volunteers who worked on the project, but above all thanked the town’s BMX and skateboard enthusiasts for their dedication and persistence in seeing the project through.
“The kids you see here gave us much input as to what we should do with this skate park,” Roy said. “They’ve attended our meetings, they’ve attended Board of Selectmen meetings, they’ve given their ideas, they’ve written them down, they gave us sketches, they’ve reviewed things. We couldn’t do this without their input.”
“It’s a testament not only to them, but their parents,” Miller said later. “Congratulations, everybody.”
When the time came to actually break ground Wednesday, Roy asked the half-dozen or so kids present to do the honors.
Click play on the video above to see the culmination of the ceremony.
Prep work has already begun at the site, with a tentative completion date of Oct. 1.
The project is being funded by a $187,000 in state grants awarded after the Department of Environmental Energy and Protection took the land the old skate park was situated on to build a fish bypass canal.
Also a benefit concert fundraiser is also planned for Aug. 29 to raise funds for additional ramps and equipment for the park.
The fundraiser starts at 5:30 p.m. at The Lakehouse, 357 Roosevelt Drive, and will feature a performance from Red River Soul at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or by calling Shari at 203 – 881-1148.
