Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Will Montes drops in regularly at Forest Lake Skate City. Heís one of the many kids from the Forest Lake area who comes to the city of Forest Lake facility adjacent to the old town hall building on south US-61 to skate.

For Montes, 17, Skate City is a place to meet up with friends and hone his skills on the skate board.

But how long Montes and other kids have the facility to use is a big question mark this spring. If behavior by kids is poor and there are reports of vandalism, the facility could be closed and the jumps dismantled, the cityís park board director said this week.

ìIts future is on thin ice,î Renee Reedy said. ìWeíd really like to keep the privilege available.î

But Reedyís comments were punctuated by the ìbutî and the major changes that could happen if youth behavior turns bad.

2005 problem

It was just such behavior that led the cityís park board to order the facility temporarily closed in June of 2005.

The park board took the action after reports of vandalism, smoking by youth and generally poor behavior, including some fights involving youth.

The facility reopened later in the summer and problems were kept to acceptable levels, Reedy said.

She said the skate board facility was becoming ìmore of a hang outî for young people. Reedy said most of the problems came during the spring when school was still in session.

Once school was out for the summer, problems at Forest Lake Skate City subsided, Reedy said.

FL Skate City has not officially opened with a monitor this spring. That is weather dependent, Reedy said.

On Saturday, the mild April day brought out more than a dozen kids to skate.

Montes was one of them. The quiet Forest Lake High School student said he was hopeful the facility would remain open.

Reedy, too expressed optimism that the communityís youth would be good stewards of the facility. If not, she said, the facility will be shuttered and the equipment stored away.

Then the issue will fall to the park board for an evaluation of other sites that may be better suited for Forest Lake Skate City and new ideas for how the facility should be used.

For now, Forest Lake Skate City will remain open from 10 a.m. to dusk. Signs specifically outline the rules and regulations that govern the grounds.

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Forest Lake Times
P.O. Box 218
880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
651-464-4601
Fax 651-464-4605