Here’s my little analogy to the whole situation that unfolded on Tuesday:
Your grandmother knows you really need a new skateboard so she gives you some money to get a new one. Not because its essential but because she knows you work hard at skating and it will make you happy. Imagine your parents take that money and instead of respecting your grandmother’s wishes they put that money into their own savings account because they might need it for gas or the car payment if they can’t pay it with their own money.
Granted, gas and the car payment are important to the family but shouldn’t the parents be responsible enough to take care of those bills themselves without taking your grandmother’s gift?
I’d be pissed.
So here’s how it all came together on Tuesday . . .
I got to the shop a little before noon, grabbed a coffee, checked some e-mails and made signs for our 10 Days til Christmas Sale (ahem)- business as usual. Alison from Eskandalo stopped by just as I got the text from Mark in the Parks Department and I guess my jaw must dropped to floor since she immediately asked “What’s wrong.”
All I saw was “…kill the skateplaza.” I might have mumbled something along the lines of “skateplaza . . . taking our funding . . . what the fuuuuu. . .”
I called the Parks Department once I was speaking in cohesive sentences and got the full story. They heard a rumor that just that morning Councilman Leeson was trying to discretely* add amendment to the final 2010 City budget meeting to try and reallocate the DCNR Grants* the State gave to the Bethlehem for parks projects to a “rainy day” fund.
*Discretely: Meaning the Parks Dept. was not supposed to know about it and the skateboard community was definitely not supposed to know about it. I think the word shady would describe it better.
*DCNR Grants: Meaning funds that the Bethlehem Parks & Rec Department applied for specifically for the skateplaza/greenway from the State, the State came to Bethelehem to hear about the skateplaza/greenway, approved of the project and granted funds specifically for the project from a fund that gives appropriate city Parks & Rec projects funding.
I’m not a city councilman but it does sound like the funds were given to Bethlehem for a skateplaza right?
Again, I’m no big shot city councilman but I remember my parents hounding me to apply for grants for college because because that that was money given to students to help them pay for schooling and unlike a loan, they would not have to be paid back. Sounds free to me. Unless my parents were mistaken.
As I understand it, if we have been working to build this skateplaza with grants, donations, soliciting sponsorships to corporations, businesses and investors . . . How exactly is the skateplaza’s construction burdening the City of Bethlehem financially? To jump ahead, Councilman Leeson’s main point in trying to reallocate the funding was it is not the right time to be spending money “on extras.” To be fair to him, yes the skateplaza is an extra expense but not one the City is paying for. Well, maybe as he would like to put it, “philosophically” we are because State grant money does come from taxpayers.
BUT . . . The large majority of funds we were given by the State from grants designated for Parks & Rec projects and more specifically: for the Bethlehem Skateplaza. No Councilman Leeson, not other City financial needs- not even in the philosphical sense. If anything, building a world-class skateplaza that will cost the city virtually nothing and at the same time attract people to Bethlehem can only help stimulate the local economy.
The rest you probably already read in the Morning Call’s article, saw on Channel 69 or checked out on some local blogs like Lehigh Valley With Love or Whitey Blackman. The local media was excited to point out how we used our Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, newsletter and our website to spread the word about the council meeting. We should all thank Alison for slapping some sense into me because when I read the initial text I definitely froze up. Alison told me to stop crying and start doing something about it so the texting, typing and tweeting began.
Yes, the social media helped spread the word but more importantly it’s the public’s dedication and desire to see this project come to fruition in their lifetime that really drove people to arms when they heard about a plot to steal our funding. We’ve waited too long and come too far to with the Bethlehem Skateplaza to let this go without a fight.
Our call to action was to meet at Homebase at 6pm, march across the bridge as one huge mob and takeover the council meeting.
We made protest signs just to look legit.
Not to say we didn’t have a sense of humor about the whole thing though.
Like clockwork, the shop started to fill up with skaters, BMXers, other local business owners, parents, families and friends. I made one last speech to rally the troops and also let them know yelling and screaming would probably be looked down upon. But if it came down to it, we were prepared to stage a non-violent sit down protest.
Being that it is late Fall, the plan to march was quickly transformed into a plan to carpool across the bridge once we stepped outside. Ray and some other die hard supporters did make the journey on foot, board and by bike though.
There was already a good sized crowd lurking around the Rotunda Room waiting for the rest of us to arrive.
For many of these skaters and BMXers the closest they’d gotten to City Hall was riding the ledges in the courtyard. Now they were involved in swaying decisions at annual budget meetings with the City Council. The youth have a powerful voice when they act in an organized and united fashion. Over one hundred people packed into the auditorium most likely setting a record for budget meeting attendance. Not bad for “kids.”
I wish I knew what Councilman Leeson was thinking as the seats filled?
Must have been something like, “I’m glad they extended unemployment.” Only joking.
What may have been equally surprising to the skaters who attended were the number of citizens who stood up the defend the skateplaza that were by far- their senior. I doubt many people knew Mr. Hudak when we got up to speak and I would bet money a lot of our group thought he was taking the podium to bash the skateplaza. What they didn’t know was Mr. Hudak is a long time southside resident and outspoken supporter of the Bethlehem Skateplaza. He also serves on the anti-gang task force and recognizes that activities like skateboarding and BMX biking have a positive effect in keeping the youth out of gangs and real trouble.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have stood at this podium several other times to promote and defend out skateplaza project but typically in a room full of non-skaters. It was a awesome and humbling experience to represent all my fellow skaters and BMXers as they sat behind me.
I was trying not to blow it basically.
For me personally, the most shocking speaker who took the podium to point out the obvious need for the skateplaza was Bethlehem Police Commissioner Bedics. His requestto create three new police officer positions was also on the chopping block- courtesy of Councilman Leeson and he fought for the skateboarders instead of his own interests.
From my old classmate, Councilman Willy Reynolds’s fired up speech on providing for the youth who choose to participate in non-mainstream sports to Councilwoman Karen Dolan pulling pointing out all the pros to the skateplaza from financial benefits to the backlash the City would feel if we lost State funding due to a underhanded manueaver to reallocate it to Councilman Schweder’s questioning why Leeson didn’t look into other areas of the budget to cut, each council member made it clear they wanted Bethlehem to house the skateplaza just as much as it’s fututre users.
The last councilman to speak was Mr. Mowrer; one of the eldest members of the council. He opened up with “I will never use the Bethlehem Skateplaza” and continued to agree with Councilman Leeson that our City is in a financial crisis but sometimes when it comes to providing for the future of our community “…sometimes we have to go against our better judgement.”
It’s an honor to live in a city where I as a skateboarder can say, my local government has my back.
If any message was sent that night to those of us in attendance, it was there is solidarity behind the Bethlehem Skateplaza.
This is not a case of the skaters versus the city like in many other townships, districts and bouroughs. From the Mayor, City Council, Parks Department, Police Department and the community at large- we are united out efforts.
“It’s a no brainer.”
So where do we go from here?
Stay posted, we’ll be announcing some different ways the general pubic can help the Bethlehem Skateplaza. In the meantime, we are trying to pass out informational tri-fold pamphlets so if you know of any location, school or person who would like to read more about the project, come by Homebase to pick up a copy or a stack to hand out.
You can also visit the City’s website to make a Paypal donation or contact the City:
www.Bethlehem-pa.gov/skateplaza
* Thanks to Daniel Cobar for providing these photos.
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