We back any grassroots effort to get a skatepark built. As busy as Gonzales getting, and as large as the skate community is there, they should have had a park ages ago (rather than tighten their crackdown on skateboarders there). Anyway, the title says what this is about. Live music, five bills (cheap!), and a good cause. I think it’s worth the trip… the Gonzales crews I know are good people.

Click the pic below for a larger version, and below that, click the link to check out the fund raiser MySpace page.

http://www.myspace.com/skateparkfundraiser

Click the flier to visit the MySpace page of Y.O.U.R.S., who are promoting the construction of a skatepark in the Gonzales area. Of all the cities I know of, Gonzales skaters need something now.

We’ll be getting more details soon, but for now we know that there will be plenty of music, as well as some ramps and rails for everyone to skate. We’ll keep everyone up to date, maybe we can carpool some Hammond (and nearby) locals since we can explain the benefits of a really good public skatepark. Let’s do our part and support our fellow skaters.

Braman (skater, skate dad, and good friend of STS) recently wrote a letter to the Mayor of Gonzales concerning his city’s anti-skateboarding ordinace and anti-youth stance. THis si what the Mayor wrote back (after Braman questioned the city’s actions):

Mac,The City Council passed an ordinance about five years ago prohibiting skateboarding on all City Owned properties. The reason was at that time skateboarders were riding their boards on wooden handrails, stuccoed railings and on all of our park benches completely tearing up public property and scaring people who were in the parks walking with small children. As with anything the good suffer for the few bad eggs. Their was discussion a few years ago that the Parish Recreation was looking at constructing a skate Park. You might want to push that idea with them. As you probably are unaware the City Of Gonzales takes care of all the soccer on the east side of the river,recently constructed a new pool for residents of East Ascension and maintain 10 lighted tennis courts for area residents in addition of what we do for baseball, and basketball. We feel it is time the Parish participates in this very worthwhile recreation project. Good Luck and by the way your parish government gives the City Of Donaldsonville 90,000 a year towards their recreation. 90,000 would be a good start for a new skate park in East Ascension.Good to Hear from You,

God Bless,

Coach Johnny

Braman sent a letter back that summed up the situation perfectly:

Coach,
Thanks for responding to my e-mail.
I know that some public property may have been torn up by some skaters, but it is already against the law to damage public property anyway. Banning everyone from skating seems to be extreme to me. With all do respect, people damage property, speed, drive drunk,run red lights etc., and we don’ t ban driving in the city, we punish those breaking the law.
As far as some skaters scaring kids…….. if any one(skater,football player, biker or Joe blow) messes with my kids, I am calling the police or defending my family.
I think some parents did not like the way these kids dressed and talked or did not like them hanging out, and they called and complained. I know it was an easy decision to make (banning skating), I am sure I am the only one over the age of 18 to complain about it.
I know that the city does a lot for recreation. Which why reading that in the paper last week,both puzzled me and bothered me so much. What do we do for the kids that don’t like mainstream sports?
Banning skating is not gonna keep those skaters from damaging stuff, it is gonna keep people like me and my son from skating.
I am thankful for the recreational activities we do have. As you know I have benefited from them, my son is starting to benefit from them,and I am sure my daughter will too.
Working with skaters will only benefit the city, just ask the Mayor of Hammond.
Thanks for hearing me out coach and take care
Mac
PS There is a group (local skate shop owners, skaters) working with the parish to get a skate park

We’re going to go to war on anti-skate rules and regulations… if skaters don’t fight back, they’ll just get walked on.

We’ve gotten an insane amount of feedback, not only from local skaters, but from Skater’s Alliance and Skaters for Public Skateparks. A lot of you have been asking for the city’s contact information, so here it is (as presented on the city’s website):

Tammy Williams is listed as the contact through the website (Tammy@GonzalesLa.com)

You can snail mail here:
120 South Irma Boulevard
Gonzales, Louisiana 70737-3698

Or call here:
(225)647-2841

Just remember… to get your point across clearly, be polite and choose your words carefully. Don’t give these people any reason to think that skateboarders are second-class citizens (like they do now). These people are taking away the rights of skaters to freely assemble on public property and skate on land that they and their parents paid for. Let’s not make it worse for the skaters of Gonzales, they already have it bad enough. Let’s make it loud and clear that making skateboarding illegal will only create criminals, it won’t address the problem.
If the mayor of Gonzales or any of his backwards-thinking councilmen are reading this, please watch this movie:

(Props to Mule for mentioning it in the comments section)

If you read through our forums or the Morning Advocate, some of this may not be news to you. One of our site members (Braman) notified us that the Mayor of Gonzales (as well as the city council) recently pushed to make skateboarding illegal… Braman posted a news article detailing the archaic thought processes that the Gonzales government evidently wallows in. Just to be sure and recieve confimation, I sent an email to the contact person on Gonzales’ official website… here’s the letter:

Hi, my name is Neal Boyd, and I’m writing to you in regards to some news that I just found out about… I simply wanted to confirm what I read.

In the Friday printing of The Advocate (from June 30th), the following was published:

“During Monday night’s Gonzales City Council meeting, Mayor Johnny Berthelot made an announcement reminding residents that skateboards and people skateboarding on any city property-including city parks-is against the law.
Berthelot said the Gonzales Police Department will be out enforcing city ordinances that outlaw the street surfing pastime.”

I just wanted a confirmation that your city officially deems skateboarding as an illegal activity (notably on public property), and that your mayor is planning on prosecuting children and adults for taking part in that particular activity.

Also, if you don’t mind, do you happen to have the ordinance online or available in a digital format? I’d like to publish the information on our website so we can make sure that unsuspecting kids from our area don’t make the mistake of going to Gonzales and creating a distraction for your police officers.

Thanks,
Neal

This morning I received two emails back from the contact person for Gonzales’ city government (these are unedited… they’re copied and pasted as I received them):

Email One:
tammy@gonzalesla.com
Sec. 8-96. Skateboarding; in-line skating prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to skateboard or in-line skate on any city-owned property, including but not limited to, sidewalks, jogging trails, rights-of-way, swimming pools, recreational areas, ball parks, tennis courts, amphitheater, civic center, or any embankments, retaining walls, and hand rails.

(Ord. No. 2711, 12-10-01)

Email Two:
tammy@gonzalesla.com

MR. BOYD ALSO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MADE THAT ORDIANCE BECAUSE THE KIDS WERE TEARIING UP THE PARKS, THE RAILINGS ANS THE STUCCO.

THANKS!

You have to love the mentality over there… skaters were “tearing up” rails, so let’s make it illegal for them to ride down a sidewalk!

Everyone, let’s join together and do Gonzales a favor… don’t go there, ever. Don’t spend a dime in the city, and don’t stop in it for any reason whatsoever. This goes out not only to the skaters reading this, but the parents and friends of skaters as well… don’t spend a dime in a city that would go out of its way to ensure that its youth are considered criminals.

To Mayor Berthelot and the city council of Gonzalez, I say this on behalf of the skateboard community:
I sincerely hope you’re democratically replaced with people that have a clue as to what your kids so obviously need. I understand that you see skateboarding as a problem, but by turning your kids into criminals, you’re making the problem worse. I’d recommend that you take a lesson from Mayor Foster and the Hammond City Council on the right way to respond to the needs of skaters.

Until better people take over your current elected offices, we here in Hammond will be more than happy to accept the kids you choose to demonize. Unlike the city of Gonzales, we actually know that skateboarding is a positive activity for local youth to take part in… so by all means, send them to us. Not only will our skateboard community accept them with open arms, the city of Hammond will also appreciate their contribution to our local economy (skaters have to eat and drink, y’know).

If you’re a parent or a skater old enough to vote… remember this day, and remember the city of Gonzales. Do your part to vote out the archaic cavemen they have in office and replace them with people that give a damn about the kids in their city.

Pass this article around and let everyone know… avoid Gonzales at all costs and spend your money and time in a city that actually appreciates you.

P.S.

Skateboarding is not a crime.