This is a Petition in Support of a Free Community Skatepark: We the undersigned, as citizens of Ellington, CT, support the development of a free public skatepark within our wonderful city. We recognize the need for and the benefits of a free public skatepark and believe the city should at the very least provide suitable land and agree to maintain the skatepark after construction, and at the most, fund, build and maintain the skate park just as it would a basketball court, tennis court, soccer fields, and baseball. softball fields or other public general use area. Some information herein is referenced from the Public Skatepark Development Guide, a book by Peter Whitley and Skaters for Public Skateparks (SPS). Statistics 1. In 2007 there are over 13 million skateboarders in the U.S. 93.7% are younger than 24. When one considers that there are about 80 million people in the United States between the ages of 5 and 24, it suggests that 1 out of every 7 youth in the nation, or 12,997,000, are skateboarders. 2. In any given community, roughly 4.6% will be casual skateboarders and half of those will be weekly skaters. 28 Reasons for Skateparks 1. Skateboarders need safe places to recreate. 2. Skateparks, if designed and constructed correctly, are fiscally conservative and require very little maintenance 3. Compared to other sports, skateboarding is underserved in the area. 4. Skateboarding has millions of participants nationally and it\'s still growing while more traditional sports are in decline. There are currently abundant facilities for these other sports. 5. Skateboarding is a multi-million dollar industry. 6. Skateboarders represent a vital part of a community. 7. A skatepark can attract skateboarding tourists if designed to do so. 8. With national health issues looming for today\'s youth, it\'s time to offer a greater number of healthy, athletic choices. 9. The cost to participate is accessible to every economic class. 10. Thousands of other communities have come to understand the value of skateparks. 11. Skating in a park is much safer than skating in the streets. 12. The community already has hundreds, and maybe thousands of skateboarders. 13. In the future there are going to be many legitimate places to skate in the city. The time to embark on that positive future is now. 14. A skatepark is a place where skateboarders and other people who might not cross paths in the street can come together. 15. Skateparks can displace other less desirable activities in the area. 16. The skatepark can be an attraction for family vacations. 17. Skateboarding is "cool," and a skatepark will enhance the community\'s reputation. 18. Good skateparks often have volunteer teams to help maintain the facility. 19. Skateparks can draw skateboarders away from less appropriate areas. 20. Young and old people use skateparks. 21. Skateparks support vibrant, healthy communities, just like many other athletic facilities. 22. Skateboarding is a popular spectator sport. 23. Skateparks are flexible in design and can work in many different size plots. 24. The skatepark can be a place to go after school. 25. Neighborhood skateparks allow younger skaters to recreate safely close to home. 26. Skateboarding is happening with or without a skatepark. 27. There are experts who can help the community plan out their next skatepark. 28. The time to start the new skatepark is now. http://www.spaskateparks.com/content.cfmcid=3752, July 29, 2008) MUST HAVE FIRST AND LAST NAME AND VALID EMAIL ADDRESS TO HAVE YOUR SIGNATURE COUNT. THANKS!