Hi. It does not sound like the school board has a complete picture of the damage that would be done by closing the skatepark.

I don’t really know who to address this to, but my name is Tad Drysdale, and I live in Kirkland, Wash. Every year my family and two other large families rent a large house on the Island for two weeks where tens of thousands of dollars are spent each year, and the only real reason that we started this tradition was that myself and two of my best friends love the skatepark there and we skate it everyday with some of our kids.

We would all be hugely disapointed about the skatepark closure, because we would have to find a new place for our grand vacation. The wives would be mad at us because they love the island, with the shopping and dining and such, but we would have to move on. I understand you have a few bad apples around at times but that should not spoil it for the rest of us. I have been involved in the design process ot a new skatebark in Kirkland, and I have been pushing for a short cuircut video camera setup that would be tied in to City Hall, so when A) people see them installed and see that the police seem to show up when the wrong types are hanging out drinking, or B) after a short period of time they realize they cannot get away with inappropriate behavior at that location and they don’t show up or at least only to skate.

As for litter and maintenance, that is a small price for the happiness of the local skaters and the money that comes into town from it. Skating is something contructive for young kids to be a part of, and if it get taken away, then where are they going to be hanging out? They need a good outlet too.

Tad Drysdale

Kirkland, WA