Upper Yarra
12 Tuesday, 21 October, 2014
Old trade shown to new hands
8
A Mail Newspaper Group publication
Mail Covering the Upper Yarra Region of the Yarra Ranges Shire
Celebrating 150 years
26-27
Sports of all sorts
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
■ Crowning glory of youth initiative and hard work celebrated ...
Skating success By KATH GANNAWAY THE official opening of the Warburton Skate Park on Saturday (18 October) celebrated the town’s youth and their legacy for future generations of skaters. Skaters displayed their skills on the street-style park to music by local youth bands, and students from Redwood College catered with a sausage sizzle and cold drinks. Ramps, rails and quarter pipes were put to the test during competitions later in the day that showed the versatility and challenges of the design. The park was officially opened by Yarra Ranges mayor Fiona McAllister who said the success of a community project could be gauged in two ways. “One is when it doesn’t start with council, but with a group of people. In this case, it was a group of young people who decided they wanted a skate park,” she said. She said they had achieved it through hard work, fund-raising and networking with their community and with the council. The second indicator, she said, was when you got people sneaking in through the construction fence to use it. “This is what is supposed to be here,” she said. The $180,000 project was driven by a group of local young people and community groups who formed the Warburton Skate Park Group more than two years ago. The group took part in planning and design workshops with skate park designers Richard Grocke and Ivanka Buczma from
Enlocus who were at the opening. “There were lots of good ideas and hopefully the space encapsulates that,” Mr Grocke said. “They wanted a skate park that was theirs; they love street and this is a street-style skate park. “It’s not often you get to work with a group of young people who have the support of their community and of the local council.” O’Shannassy Ward representative Cr Jim Child also spoke, saying the skaters had ‘done the hard yards’ lobbying businesses, local police and council. He said community organisations including the Warburton and Yarra Junction Bendigo Community Banks, the Warburton Sports Club Trust and Warburton Advancement League had also got behind the project. Two of the original skaters Brandon Abela and Kailem Bowman spoke on behalf of the group, thanking the community for getting behind the project. “It would not have been possible without all the support we received,” Brandon said adding special thanks to the local businesses “for putting up with us for three years (skating in the street), to Yarra Ranges Council. They had a special ‘thanks’ and flowers for Suyin Chan (Community Development Worker withy Upper Yarra Community Enterprise Ltd (Community Banks) and Karen Swankie, the VCAL co-ordinator at Upper Yarra Community House who had guided, encouraged and supported them. See more photos in Mail Sport and at mail.starcommunity.com.au
Celebrating the opening, back from left: Ivanka Buczma, Brandon Abela, Christian Douglas, Joey Davidson, Elan Marlow and, Tahu Stormer; middle row: Suyin Chan, Mayor Fiona McAllister with baby Lexie and son Cassius, Kailem Bowman, Kaine Abela, Arjuna Williams and Jesse Bowman; front: Barney Reilly and Lucah Byron. 129264. Picture: KATH GANNAWAY
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