Aug 5, 2007

Skate shop plans fundraiser for park

By Shannon Burkey / MediaNews

The efforts to raise money for a skateboard park in Los Gatos are getting a little boost from a local skateboard shop that has decided to join in on the fundraising.

NC Board Shop on Los Gatos Boulevard will be holding a "skate jam" on Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in its parking lot, and all money raised that day will go to the skate park fundraising committee for a new skate park.

"We've been in town for 20 years and have been trying to get a skate park here for a long time," NC Board Shop manager Melissa Morrissey said.

Morrissey said the shop plans to erect ramps in its parking lot, and for a donation to the skate park fund skaters can use the ramps all day. The shop has also invited several professional skateboarders to the event and plans to do prize giveaways throughout the day.

"We think it's great that they want to help raise money for the skate park," committee chairwoman Karen Deloumi said. The efforts to build a skate park began in 2000 when skateboarders and parents approached the town and asked for a park. The town searched for a location, then donated a site at 41 Miles Ave. for the facility.

The town proposed building a park with modular ramps and movable obstacles, but skateboarders wanted a more expensive park with in-ground concrete ramps and bowls.

The estimated cost of the type of skate park skateboarders preferred is just under $1 million. The town, which in addition to donating the site also pledged $125,000 for the park along with $100,000 pledged by Monte Sereno, told park advocates to raise the remainder.

As of Tuesday, the committee has raised $12,026 in donations, $10,000 in various pledges, and another $50,000 matching pledge from the Sobrato Family Foundation. In addition two local businesses have offered to pay a combined $13,000 for concrete, several residents have offered to purchase the benches for the park and a general contractor has offered to donate his time managing the project.

On May 29, Deloumi and committee member Dennis Byron submitted a notice of intent to circulate a petition for an initiative measure regarding the skate park. Essentially, the committee would like the voters to decide whether the town should put up the money to build the park.

In order for the initiative to make it onto an election ballot, the committee must gather signatures from 10 percent of the 17,963 registered voters in Los Gatos. The deadline to make it onto the Nov. 6 ballot has passed, but the committee can still make it onto the Feb. 5 ballot if the signatures are submitted to the town clerk by the end of September.

"This is long overdue," committee member Steven Leonardis said. "The town is looking for closure. Whether the park is privately funded or the city pays for it, I think people want to see it get done."


MediaNews Staff Writer Jason Sweeney contributed to this report.