Skaters make case for Franklin skatepark

BY JESSI STONE NEWS EDITOR

The Franklin Town Council board room was standing room only last week as several local teenagers expressed their desire for a skatepark to be developed somewhere within the town limits.

Evan Lampkin, 14, addressed the board first and explained that it was difficult for his group of friends to find a safe and legal place to skate in town without being asked to stop by law enforcement officers.

“We’ve been told multiple times it’s illegal to skate in town, but we haven’t found anything in the town or state ordinances that says that,” he said. “There is no state ordinance prohibiting skateboarding on sidewalks, and when my mom called the town a few years ago, she was told that the town ordinances don’t address it at all.”

He referenced successful skatepark projects in Highlands, Cherokee and Waynesville, but the distance makes it difficult to get there, especially for his friends that don’t drive yet. In speaking to someone with the town of Highlands, Lampkin learned that an estimated 50 people a day utilize the skatepark and that the only problem initially was litter. That issue has been addressed with more signage.

Highlands’ skatepark cost $220,000 to construct in 2017, and it’s the most utilized public recreational asset the town has, Lampkin said.

“If they did it all over again, they said they would make it bigger because it’s so popular,” he said.

Waynesville opened its skatepark in 2013 at the encouragement and assistance from a group of local skaters. The project cost $400,000 and is also a well utilized asset for the town.

Lampkin told the board that constructing a skatepark in Franklin would keep kids from skating on the streets and sidewalks where it’s not safe and would provide something positive for teenagers to do after school.

“There’s a misperception about skaters — we’re not bad kids,” he said. “And skating is for everybody. If you would consider putting in a skatepark here in Franklin, my friends and I would be more than glad to sit down with you and talk about the features and options that could be included.”

Tim Shaw, the father of two skaters, said having a safe location for his kids to skate would give him piece of mind.

“After school they say they’re going to skate town and that makes me cringe,” he said. “They need a legal, safe and free place to skate.”

Another local teen, Scott Elliott, said skating saved his life and helped him make friends. “Someone handed me a skateboard when I was young, and I quickly fell in love with it,” he said. “I’ve also had many taken from me over the years by the law, but if there’s nowhere to go, kids will be on the streets. I’m lucky that everyone in my life has helped me pursue this hobby and I’ve

had the chance to drive hundreds of miles to these skateparks, but there are 10-, 12- and 13-year-old malleable kids that need somewhere to go.”

Former Councilmember Adam Kimsey said he also supported the development of a skatepark, though he knows there’s an issue of liability on the town’s part. However, he said the town takes on a greater liability by having kids skating around town where they could get injured, and creating a safe environment for skaters is the better option.

As a law enforcement officer, Jordan Sutton said he too wants a safe place for them to go in town so their parents will know exactly where they are when they go skating.

“The things we have in town for kids to do are these kinds of activities or drugs and premarital sex,” he said. “We used to have a bowling alley and skating rink. We have Parker Meadows (recreation park) in the middle of nowhere, but they need somewhere in town to go.”

Mayor Bob Scott suggested putting together some kind of fundraising or advisory committee so discussions on the proposed project can begin.

Councilmember David Culpepper volunteered to help coordinate that effort with the police department, local skaters and the town.

Scott also asked if the police chief could research a place in the town limits that might be safe to block off in the short term so that the skaters would have somewhere to safely go sooner than letter.

Police Chief Bill Harrell said he’d look into a few options and report back to the board.

Waynesville skatepark.

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BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER

For the fourth straight week, the rate of vaccinations has decreased in the fourcounty area, with just 0.5 percent of the four-county area’s population receiving a first dose between May 3 and May 10.

The trend was consistent across Haywood, Macon and Jackson counties, all of which increased their partial vaccination coverage by half a percent between those dates. Swain County, where state data records that only 25.5 percent of the population has received at least one dose of vaccine, showed an increase less than half that, 0.2 percent. However, the true number of vaccinated Swain County residents is likely significantly higher. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has organized a robust vaccination campaign, and because it receives its doses directly from the federal government those figures are not included with state or county numbers. Much of the EBCI’s Qualla Boundary is located in Swain County.

Macon County has by far the largest share of vaccinated residents, breaking 40 percent for the first time this week. As of May 10, 40.3 percent of Macon County residents were at least partially vaccinated and 37.7 percent were fully vaccinated. By contrast, 33.9 percent of Haywood County residents and 32.5 percent of Jackson County residents are partially vaccinated, as are 38.9 percent of EBCI tribal members.

With the exception of Macon County, these county-level figures fall below the statewide average of 40.1 percent fully vaccinated as of May 10.

The rate could pick up again in the coming weeks, however, due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s May 9 decision to grant an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine’s use in 12 to 15year-olds. Currently, there are no vaccinations available for people under the age of 16.

According to reporting from NPR, a vaccine advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet May 12 to make recommendations for the vaccine’s use, and shots could be “widely available” this week. The authorization means that 87 percent of the U.S. population is now eligible for a vaccine.

New COVID-19 cases continue to plummet, with the 669 new cases statewide reported May 11 marking the lowest number since Oct. 4, 2020. However, nationwide people under the age of 18 account for 1 in 5 new cases.

Clinic for 16-18year-olds planned

Haywood County Health and Human Services is partnering with Haywood Community College to host a special COVID19 vaccine clinic for teens 16-18 and their families from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 19 at the HCC campus.

Many colleges and universities will be requiring shots when students begin the fall semester. And with summer activities nearing, now is the perfect time for young adults to prepare by choosing to get vaccinated.

This special mobile clinic will offer PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on a drive-up basis, no appointment required, on the campus of HCC. Students under the age of 18 will need parent or guardian consent to get vaccinated. Family members of students are also eligible to get vaccinated at this clinic if they so choose.

For vaccine appointment or appointment questions call: 828.356.2019, Option 1.

For general COVID-19 information visit www.haywoodcountync.gov/684/COVID19-Information.

Macon registering ages 12-15 for vaccine

COVID-19 vaccine for use in those aged 12 to 15, Macon County’s Vaccine Call Center will begin to pre-register children, should their parents wish for them to be vaccinated once the vaccine has been approved.

No Pfizer clinics are currently planned, though the public and those who pre-register will be notified once appointments become available for the Pfizer vaccine with Macon County Public Health.

Side effects in this age group were similar to that of the age 16 to 25 group which included fever, pain at the injection site, and cold like symptoms lasting no longer than 72 hours after the injection.

Parents who want their child to receive the COVID-19 vaccine must call 828.524.1500 to pre-register.

WCU clinic taking walk-ins

Western Carolina University’s regional COVID-19 vaccine clinic is now accepting walk-ins on Fridays and Saturdays.

Participants will be able to choose the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine when they arrive.

The walk-in hours are noon to 6 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

The clinic is operating out of WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building, located at 3971 Little Savannah Rd. in Cullowhee.

For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit vaccine.wcu.edu.