Joe,
Last evening the City of Salisbury held a public hearing regarding the receipt of state monies to cover the "First Phase" of the Salisbury Skatepark. During the course of the meetings opening comments from the public there is some "not in my front yard" commenting and questions about the location from neighbors who also happen to live not in the city but, in Wicomico County! The objection were handled well with most in attendance realizing these kids need a place to safely skate.
Debbie Stam from the city reminds those in attendance that the location was selected based on the DNR grant requirements which include but, are not limited to, land owned by the City that is paid for and deemed suitable by the DNR.
Then up rises the great philanthropic citizen John Robinson to announce let's move this thing to my building I own in the industrial park, I paid $265k for it and will give it to the city while I pay 15 years of payments on it! You can have it inside and I'll even help build it because I'm a skater and I know what needs to be built!
He further stated that the kids that will skate this facility wherever it is are inherently bad and he has them in his living room every night and can't control them! I about fainted in less than five minutes John Robinson completely negated 5 years of work to get this project to the construction phase!
Following John all the not in my front yard people immediately stated yes! Build it in the building a private citizen has 15 years of payments to make using the State of Maryland's money!
What an idiot it was on PAC-14 you need to watch the tape John is an idiot! Just an fyi on your least favorites most recent stupid acts to sabotage someone else's hard work. Many are so frustrated that 5 years of hard work was submarined in less than 5 minutes by 1 idiot!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
39 comments:
Joe can set John straight, as he has had to do many times in the past.
DNR claims they are underfunded need to raise fees for boaters but they have money to donate to skate park. I call BS on this on.
I know I'll get beaten up for saying this,but to me personally this does'nt sound like a bad idea.My only question is why he did'nt bring this up before,or did he bring it up and was told to wait for the meeting to voice it?
i remember john robinson from high school. he never was and never will be a "skater". i don't want to see the skate park on anyone's private land. i want a public skatepark for these kids. there is one in ocean city and it is not wrought with crime. the problem lies in our city and police force not wanting to put any real effort into anything in this town.the kids who would be skating there are not the problem in salisbury, the way the city of salisbury handles any endevour for growth and change is the problem.
if they build a public skate park can they build a public shooting range too?
The skateboarders in OC are a pain in the butt and caused much property damage. Skateparks should be private ventures. Too much of people wanting the government to entertain and babysit anymore. enough is enough. If parents want their kid to skateboard then buy them the property to do so.
One might speculate that this may be some kind of planned dust-up- perhaps involving the mayor and the council minority. Perhaps, the hope for political fallout regarding the council majority is the real motivation as we move closer to the spring election.
I can hear Ireton's little hissy fit 'press conference' now; "These people don't care about our children!"
I am probably wrong here, but we do know from experience that this is exactly how things happen in this corrupt little burg...
9:26
I more than agree. The City may have a desire to build a skatepark which I could easily support but in this economic climate, is it a necessity? Certainly not! How much more can local government push down our throats at this time? We have the new BMS, Pollitt's new Civic Center parking lot, the new dog park, the fireboat, the Bateman St intersection, the additional fire fighter's we'll be paying for after the grant money expires in 2 years, the property tax increase. For God's sake...where does it end. Our local Govt officials are spending more than Obama. Doesn't anyone see this. John Robinson is an idiot but if he can provide a less expensive solution to another Govt gotta have...hear him out!
The skate park in OC was only built in the 80s because the city wanted the national attention, and getting the tax dollars from additional fees to use it. It added full time staff, and overhead paid for by the tax payer. It had nothing to do with the kids, it was about the cash and control of kids staying off of private property. What is Salisbury doing about getting involved with what should be a private business anyway? And are you saying that the people should dictate exactly where the project should go? Hey, DNR and those who worked on the project on this for 5 years, stick the project up you as and move the money to pay the overworked and under performing public teachers union!
10:11 brings up a good point-do they plan to staff this skateboard park thus creating more city employees?
Also I would like to know if those who plan to use this proposed park have done any type of fundraising or do they just expect the government to foot the entire bill? I would be more inclined to be in favor if those who intend to take advantage of the park have contributed in some way.
I bet if this was for a new football field everyone would be all for it! Stop labeling all skaters as bad seeds just because they don't dress like your precious football players - most of them are good kids who don't party, but they are labeled just because they skateboard.
Why isn't this letter signed? And why didn't the city just allow JR to build his in the first place? To me, the author of this letter seems like an idiot.
And as for 9:44, so John can't skateboard because he didn't do it in high school? I don't know a whole lot about skate boarding but I am glad I was able to pick up new hobbies and things I enjoy past the age of 17.
Why don't they just dig up the one they filled in 15 years ago?
We've been down this road before.
This is another of someone's "pet" projects.
Waste.
I don't think the government should be in the business of building and overseeing any sort of sports facility including football. Let either a non profit or private entity do it. The government is not in the entertain one's kids business. I do agree with the government giving some sort of incentive for these endeavors though their involvement should be minimal as far as the daily operations.
"And why didn't the city just allow JR to build his in the first place?"
John should just go ahead and do his skatepark as he planned and then there would be no need for a city one.
Robinson has been talking about this for months now and he's done nothing. He had the inside information about skaters and the city looking into their own park. Either he's a huge screw up or he's up to something.
Canceled dredging waterways
doubled boat fees
reduced dnr officers on the water
but has money to build skate park....
Skate park <> Natural resource
Why don't john build it in his building with his money. sell tickets. It could be all his.
What was he saying? About having these kids "are inherently bad and he has them in his living room every night and can't control them".
" During the course of the meetings opening comments from the public there is some "not in my front yard" commenting..."
By people whose front yards really are just a street width from the proposed site.
i'd hear this guy's ideas.
this is a total waste of tax payers money anyway.
with so many more priorities i could list a mile long. a skateboard park with a half a million dollars is an insult to hard working taxpayers.
anything to keep it from being another white elephant like the last one. and keep it out of site and out of mind.
Yeah, right. Robinson will give it to the City for 15 years while he makes the payments on it. Does anybody really buy this guys bull?
An industrial area is more suited for a skateboard park than a residential neighborhood.
One of the conditions stated last night was that the property MUST be owned & PAID FOR by the CITY of SALISBURY! Not owned by a private citizen with 15 years of payments!
I should of stayed sounds like John Robinson did what he usually does made a mess of something good just trying to play millionaire! Besides he will want to charge for everything and try to get over on everyone involved it's his nature!
Who ever choose to tell those that worked on this over the last five years to "stick the project up you as and move the money to pay the overworked and under performing public teachers union!" I hope you are not a teacher since your grammar is lousy and I believe you meant "up your ass" I was involved for some part of the process and will say this I INVITE YOU TO COME STICK IT UP MY ASS! YOU WILL GO HOME IN A BOX! Don't be nameless and spineless!
9:58 I have lived in OC for 25 years and have never had any problems with skateboarders.
If Robinson were to deed the property to the city (free & clear) then the city would own the property. Sounds like a plan to me. I'm sick of seeing kids almost get hit while they ride their skateboards on the Yellow Line on both Beaglin Park Dr. & Zion Road. One of them is going to get killed.
They can not build the park where they want. I went to the location and a Red Fox den is on the property.
So either build it on the other site or build it on Robinsons property he said he would donate it 100% with no strings attatched. Either way the site they choose can not be used.
The foxes can be relocated to a more suitable area they're in terrible danger there from all the hoodlums and drag racers!
We've had alot of problems with skateboarders at our condo on the boardwalk, 1:11. There's a bit of a wooden ramp that separates us from the boardwalk and they shoot up the slight incline and skateboard all over our cement pad in front of the building. Numerous times they have hit the building a put a hole in the Dryvit. Yearly we have to have painted on the back steps (each of them) "No Skateboarding" and have to spend money on signs for the parking lot because they like to skateboard there and then run up a cinderblock wall that separates the properties. Every spring since I can remember a guy from Salisbury comes and repairs the wall from the skateboard damage. He also paints it, and in a matter of days the skateboarders have marred the paint all up.
Our board has instucted us owners to not confront the skateboarders because it seems anytime anyone does a car gets keyed or the building or dumpster spraypainted and one time the pool window was broken out.
Oh I see the grant money is contigent on the city owning the property. I guess they don't want to give away $200,000 plus for a property with a mortgage which makes total sense.
I did see on the website that the committee has raised $9000 which is something we should all like to see-those who will benefit helping to make it a reality.
My grandfather (he's been dead for almost 30 yrs) always said to never ever buy property near government owned property and he was especially wary of parks because he felt they were a place for kids to go unsupervised and could cause trouble. I guess if the residents are concerned it was maybe something they should have considered when they purchased near a city owned park.
Ohhhh Chip
1:58-Are red foxes an endangered species?I see them weekly when I walk by the area of which you speak.
I just read Robinsons new paper and it sucks.
If a citizen is willing to save the county several hundred thousand then why not? The city cannot keep up with their own grass cutting and does not need to spend $$ on a project private industry will fulfill.
Joe you should put this back on your front page a bunch of people that work would surely like to see this!
2:32, the park for years was a wonderful quiet place. People should never have to apologize for buying land near somewhere quiet, then watch the government say "too bad for you" and turn it into Grand Central Station.
10:07, dead on except this goes back to Barrie Tilghman, who never met a vote-getting gimmick she didn't like. Ireton is following in her no-back shoes. He will find a way to make this about the council majority, which always tries to use common sense.
What does a red fox den have to do with anything. You all are just stupid. Red foxes are NOT endangered. There are too many now. They all need to be killed.
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