Letters – Reader applauds Skate Park

To the Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Karron DeGraffenreid on a job well done. She along with On-A-Roll, Inc., did something that I never thought would be done in Lockhart. They got the skate park built and running.

My wife and I took our 4-year-old son out to City Park this Sunday afternoon for the Grand Opening of the Lockhart

skate park. We arrived at the park about 3 p.m., well after the official ribbon cutting and I was actually surprised at the number of people who had come out for the day. I thought there would be a few kids and their parents as well as Karron and some of her supporters, but I had no idea that there would be the number of people that I saw. I did not get an opportunity to count the kids and adults who were using the new facilities but I’m sure that there were at least 20-30 people actually skating, and another 25-50 watching. My son was watching and telling me how he wanted to do that when he gets bigger. And now, with the hard work of On-A-Roll he will get the chance in a few years.

I know that some people are hesitant to bring their younger kids around these types of places for fear of things they might hear or see. To them I say I was impressed by the kids there on Sunday. The older skaters were respectful of the younger ones, giving them advice and their turn to skate, even if the run was only a few seconds. I only heard one expletive in the hour or so we were there, and that was only after someone took a hard fall. I’m very excited about this new addition to the City Park and encourage everyone to go out and see it.

I spoke with Karron for a few minutes and could see the pride she had in getting it done. Even after her son “outgrew” the sport, Karron never let go of her desire to build something here for the kids to do. I have always been a supporter of the idea of the Lockhart skate park, actually I thought we needed something like this when I skated 20 years ago, but Karron doggedly kept on her path. She put in the hours with City Council, LCRA, the Tony Hawk Foundation and countless other organizations to get this done for our community. I will continue to support the growth and expansion of the skate park in the future. This is a good thing for the city and is long overdue.

Now I say let’s support the kids, go out and watch them and encourage them. You never know the next Tony Hawk might be here in Lockhart only now able to start on his path thanks to some really hard work by some really dedicated people.
James Bliss
Lockhart