Gearhart Skate Park will remain open until end of summer

By Lindsey Ward

Published: July 15, 2008

In a far less crowded room than the night before, Vinton Town Council wasted no time getting down to business.  After routine orders, Gearhart Skate Park took over council chambers.

“As it is being presently operated, Gearhart Park has some very serious issues and quite frankly will not work,” said Vinton Mayor, Brad Grose.

The five member board voted to keep the park open until September 21, the last day of summer and at the end of the day skaters will have to pick up their boards and leave.  That includes Tanner Trivellin.

“We still got a month and half or so to do what ever we want to,” said Trivellin.

The closing of the park has sparked a debate in the Vinton community and it comes at no surprise for Councilman Wes Nance.

“I think we had a lot of citizens concerned about what the young people were seeing down at the skate park, but we also know that a lot of young people greatly enjoy the facility that we have there,” Nance explained.

Nance volunteered to be the one council member on a new committee responsible for finding a permanent solution.  A committee that will be a combination of town leaders, parents and most importantly skaters.

“I was actually thinking to myself that maybe if the youth work together with them for fundraising activities that maybe it would show a little bit more responsibility,” Trivellin said.

The next step is to choose a date for a committee meeting.  The Town Manager will mail out announcements to people interested in being on that board, then a vote on who will serve.