For the week of August 29 - September 4, 2001

Donor makes major pledge to skate park

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"We’d like to build a concrete park that’s the envy of everybody in Idaho."

- Andy Gilbert, Ketchum park’s supervisor.

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By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer

The Hailey Skate Park Committee has begun a fund-raising frenzy after an anonymous donor said he or she will triple any money the committee can raise by Nov. 15, up to a donation ceiling of $150,000. That means that by raising $50,000, the committee could add $200,000 to the $65,000 now in its account.

Skate park boosters in both Hailey and Ketchum would like to build concrete parks to replace the plywood structures in use now.

"We’d like to build a concrete park that’s the envy of everybody in Idaho," said Andy Gilbert, the Ketchum park’s supervisor.

Gilbert acknowledges that at a cost of $100,000 per 10,000 square feet, construction of a concrete park will be hard to fund.

With the recent generous offer, however, construction of a concrete park in Hailey is a real possibility, and the skate park committee is seeking ideas for fund raising. Committee member Jim Kuehn said plans so far include a skate-boarding contest at the park, a golf scramble, a concert and a combined dinner and auction.

"The donor would like to see community participation in making this happen," Kuehn said, adding that even committee members do not know his or her identity. "We’re open to ideas and certainly have open arms to anybody who can help either financially or physically."

He said Sturtevants has offered to sponsor the skate-boarding contest, to be held Sept. 22 or 29, and more sponsors are being sought. The committee also hopes to obtain items for the auction, to be held in late October or early November.

Anyone who wishes to help can call Jim Kuehn at Cornerstone realty at 788-2646.

Funding is not the only obstacle, however. The park sits on two parcels of land leased by the skate park committee. One is owned by the city of Hailey and the other by the Blaine County School District. The Hailey City Council is scheduled to address the committee’s request for a permanent site during a meeting Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

The Ketchum park sits on 28,000 square feet of space in the city’s park-and-ride lot on the corner of Warm Springs and Saddle roads. Its plywood ramps are removed in the winter to make space for skier parking.

Annual funding for the current park includes $3,000 from the city, $3,000 from federal drug forfeiture money and about $4,500 in private donations. Park boosters raised $3,000 in a street party held in Rotary Park on Aug. 18.

Gilbert said a group of about a dozen volunteers organizes construction and maintenance projects at the park. He said anyone skating there is asked to pitch in.

"If we have a real big project, we just wait until it’s crowded," he said.

He said cooperation among skaters in helping to maintain the park has been very good.

"People know they can take away a park as easily as they can give it to you."

Gilbert said the park attracts between 150 and 200 kids a day during the summer. Ketchum Police Chief Cal Nevland said that during the six years of its existence, the park has probably saved the city a lot of problems.

"Think about if all those kids were hanging out in the business district, what a problem that would be," he said.

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