Vandals may end skate park's run

The new Amazement Square skate park, the only facility of its kind in Lynchburg, may not survive to see its first birthday.

Organizers are considering closing the downtown site following what was described as “disheartening” acts of theft and vandalism.

The park — a 14,000-square-foot amenity offering ramps, rails and a concrete bowl — is the only skateboarding facility in the immediate area. Amazement Square worked with community donors for five years to build the spot, and is still adding on new features.

“It’s discouraging to see,” said Mort Sajadian, executive director of Amazement Square, of the recent vandalism.

“There are a lot of wonderful kids who come here, and their parents and families come, too, to watch them. But these few bad apples … It just gets a little disappointing,” he said.

Letters are being sent to all park users this week in hopes of preventing further destruction. The messages will condemn the vandalism, and let skateboarders know the park will close if it continues.

Targets chosen thus far suggest the culprits are skaters, Sajadian said.

Just a few months after the site’s fanfare-filled unveiling in November, intruders broke into the admissions office and stole several new skateboards. They also took a set of older boards used as loaners and threw them into the James River.

Computer equipment and a safe kept in the same office were left untouched, Sajadian said.

Last week, park employees arrived to find someone had slashed the large banners hung to acknowledge the park’s major financial contributors, including local Rotary clubs. The site is named the Rotary Centennial Riverfront Skatepark in honor of that civic group’s significant contributions to the project.

Other banners bearing the logos of professional skateboarding teams were stolen. Sajadian said the flags are only available to organizations with business connections to the skateboarding industry and could not be purchased in stores.

“They’re like collector items,” he said. “A cool thing to have hanging in your room.”

Police reports were made in both cases, but no arrests have been made.

The president of the Rotary Club’s morning chapter, John Stone, said he was not previously aware of the destruction, but was “clearly disappointed” by it. He declined to offer further reaction Wednesday.

Amazement Square closed the park for one day last Wednesday, following the most recent episode, and posted signs saying the damage done was unacceptable.

The vandalisms continued to nag at Sajadian, though, leading to this week’s stern warning to the skating community.

“I feel very upset and feel this has been tremendously disrespectful to the people who supported the skate park and made it possible,” he said. “We are trying to improve the culture, so skaters don’t have bad names, they have positive names. It is a great sport. It’s amazing to see them do some of these tricks.”

“I hope by sending out these letters we get their attention,” he concluded. “If they don’t appreciate (the park), we won’t do it anymore.”

In addition to operating the outdoor park, Amazement Square has started mentoring programs for beginning skaters, organized band performances and started an indoor park for times of inclement weather.

Community donations exceeding $600,000 have been invested in the site. Further improvements are still in the works, including remodeling an old train car to serve as the new admissions office and skate shop.

Park users, workers upset by vandals

The most recent act of vandalism at Amazement Square’s skate park, which prompted museum officials to threaten a shutdown, incensed park workers and skaters alike.Tabitha Abbott, Amazement Square’s operations director, said the possible shutdown was a very realistic possibility.

“That’s not a threat, that’s what will happen,” Abbott said.

Skaters at the park Wednesday evening said the decision to close the park would upset them.

Isaiah Coffey, 12, said he comes to the park every other weekend.

“I’d be really mad (if the park closed),” he said.

Riley Beck, 11, said he can’t remember how long he’s been skateboarding, and he comes to the park two or three times a week.

“I would be pretty mad, because then I wouldn’t be able to skate or anything.”

He said the skaters aren’t the only people affected by the vandalism.

“It’s pretty rude to the people who put this park together,” he said.

James Withers, who works at the park, said shutting the park down would be a tough decision, though maybe a necessary one.

“Every kid here now is such a good kid,” he said of the crowd Wednesday evening. “They don’t cause problems, they don’t start anything.”

Abbott said no one at Amazement Square wants to shut the park down, especially because of what it means to the skaters.

“It’s so many things to these kids. It’s their life, it’s their art form, it’s the way they express themselves, and here they have this fantastic opportunity to do that.”

At the same time, Abbott said, if problems persist, then the park becomes just another problem location.

“We can’t continue to bring vandalism into our backyard every day,” she said.

— Dave Thompson