- GREENPORT Has Outstanding Skateboard Park at Polo Grounds -

BY DANNY McCARTHY

I met an absolutely truly nice fella who was such a renowned skateboarder who gave me the suggestion “to-go-write-on-ahead” and compose an item about skateboarding! - AND - This is a sort-of salute to that guy - & - I offer my own personal Thanksalatee to him! …
The February 12th, 1998 The Suffolk Times article titled Skateboard Park Eyed For Polo Grounds by Tim Wacker had:
“ … The {Greenport Village Board} voted to spend $1,000 for a skateboard park at the Polo Grounds on Moores Lane. New York City {Parks’} employer Andy Kessler will design the park with the help of local skateboarders. Mr. Kessler helped design a similar facility at New York City’s Riverside Park and he knows his way around a half pipe, an alley-oop{,} and a soul grind, Mayor David Kapell said.”
An April 30, 1998 The Suffolk Times article that was also by Tim Wacker has the headline: “Skateboard park is for real” and included some clarification:
“ … Look out, skateboarding is coming to Greenport. That’s what Mayor David Kapell announced this week after opening construction bids for the first skateboard park to be built on the East End.
The village still has to work out the details, but California-based Dave Duncan Douglas has bid to build the park for $132,000 at the Polo Grounds off Moores Lane, and work could start this summer. That will cover construction of the odd-shaped concrete-and-wood platforms for the park; however, the village may have to do some of the peripheral work itself.
When asked for specifics, Mr. Kapell said he’d have to refer to the experts, since skateboarding is something of a world undo itself. A meeting is being {set-up} with the company to ferret out who puts in half-pipes and who’s paving the parking lot.
These guys, I gather, are at the cutting edge of skateboard parks, said the mayor, who was joined by Trustee George Hubbard at a gathering with reporters Tuesday. George and I might have to go and buy some skates.
The new park will open up more than official recreation opportunities. It may also bring in some cash. Since announcing the park plans, the mayor’s office has been getting requests from as far as Babylon from kids wondering when it will be built.
While the government-funded facility is intended for local public use, if it starts drawing crowds from {out-of-town}, the village may find some way to {cash-in}, Mr. Kapell said. The mayor said he was approached by a management company offering to pay for running the facility, but he said, the village will probably want to stay more in operations than that.
‘I think there are definitely revenue opportunities,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure what form they’ll take.’
Money matters
Before any money comes in{,} the village will have to spend a little. The Board of Trustees has authorized $150,000 for the project, not counting {site-preparation-necessities} such as paving.
The village is also thinking of building restrooms at the site, which could be used for summer softball games {which are} also held at the Polo Grounds.
To help out, State Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) {stet} has obtained $50,000 for Greenport, which survived Gov. George Pataki’s recent round of vetoes in the proposed budget, Mr. Kapell said.
Aside from the construction, the village is hoping to keep long-term costs to a minimum. Both Trustee Hubbard and the mayor said they’d like the new park to be run largely by the kids who will be using it. That means no adults telling them when to skate, or how.
‘We want to give the kids something like they have at the existing facility,’ Mr. Kapell said, referring to plywood ramps {set-up} now at the Polo Grounds. ‘We don’t want to frustrate them from getting that access.’
As for liability, Mr. Kapell said it’s less dangerous than the ad-hoc attractions kids were {fashioning-out} of waxed curbs in municipal parking lots. Relaying an incident recently in which one skater blundered into oncoming traffic on Main Street, the mayor said, ‘What it means is getting hit by a car or falling and breaking your arm.’”
From longisland.com -
“Greenport Skate Park
Moores Lane
Greenport 11944
Phone: 631-477-1133
The Greenport Skate Park is 20,000 sq. ft. concrete-and-wood street course for skateboarding, inline skating and BMX bikes. It features a 40 "wide spine ramp and 40" wide by 12" high vertical ramp. The mini ramp and vert ramp are wood constructed with a coated steel sheathing. Helmets and protective pads are mandatory.”