Why RR needs a skate park

Letter to the Editor,
If the town of Rainy River were to get a public skatepark I think this town would become a better place. Rainy River would attract more tourists.
Maybe the population will increase and make the town more lively. I have had conversations with tourists who are actually interested in what we do on these skateboards. Even elders will sometimes stop by and watch us skateboard.
When Rainy River welcomes people for the Annual Walleye Tournament, people who skate can come down for the event for the excitement at the tent and also enjoy themselves at a skatepark.
Kids wouldn’t be getting into trouble skating at public places if we had a skatepark because we would actually have somewhere made for what we do.
We know we are not supposed to be skating at public places but all we have is a tennis court with only two fun boxes that a friend and I built with scrap wood. Us skateboarders seem to get blamed for all the vandalizing that goes on here but we aren’t bad people, we are not the people who do these unpleasant things. People could pick up the sport of skateboarding.
Skateboarding is also a great way to be active. There are quite a few people who are interested in skateboarding here in this town and now that Austin Hatch has opened up a skateshop called Candyshop Skates (located on Water Street at the Beauty Chalet), people can purchase all they need for the sport (deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, griptape, soon to be getting shoes and skateboard clothing). Parents could send their children to the skatepark and know where they are, they wouldn’t be running the streets on their bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades etc.
There is a nice skatepark in Baudette but is located a few miles from here making it exhausting to skate by the time you get there. Fort Frances also has an expensive skatepark built there but Fort Frances is a 1 hour drive from here which makes it difficult to find a ride there and back.
I was amazed to hear that Bergland was getting a skatepark because the population is not very large but Bergland is still quite a distance from here. My friends and I were told that Rainy River was actually getting a public skatepark located beside the Rainy River Recreational Center. We were disappointed to see just a fenced area with asphalt.
I would like to gather a group of people and fundraise but I need to know how to get started. If anyone has any suggestions please call Brady Jenson, 852-3367.
–Sincerely,
Brady Jenson,
Rainy River