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Parks money turning into parks in fact
Published: March 5, 2005
By NICOLE MONTESANO
Of the News-Register
When voters approved a $9.5 million bond issue to build and upgrade McMinnville parks five years ago, they had two major goals in mind - renovate heavily used parks that were showing their age and develop new ones to serve a growing population.
Steady growth during the '90s had outstripped the city's ability to keep up, either with renovation of existing facilities or development of new facilities, including ballfields.
The city is well along by now in dealing with both issues, according to city Parks and Recreation Manager Jay Pearson.
Southwest Community Park is being developed on 21 acres next to Columbus Elementary School to serve newer neighborhoods out southwest. It is now nearing completion.
This summer, children from throughout McMinnville will be able to frolic in the fountains, climb the playground towers, try the tube slides or check out a skate park designed for the beginning and intermediate levels.
More advanced skaters are getting the playground they have long wanted as well, and they got to help with the design.
The facility of their dreams is now being developed at Joe Dancer Park by Dream Parks Inc., an internationally known designer. About 80 percent complete, it should be ready for spring use.
New soccer, softball and baseball parks are also being put in at Joe Dancer. It has long been the city's main sports complex.
Meanwhile:
Morgan Lane in south McMinnville got a new 2.3-acre neighborhood park, completed in 2003.
Aging shelters, rest rooms, playgrounds, trails and such at Wortman and City Parks have been spruced up, renovated or just plain replaced to accommodate another two decades of heavy use.
n The city has just awarded a contract for a section of bike path and walkway along Westside Road that it hopes to expand in future years.
The city identified 12 projects for the bond money, and is already more than halfway through its list. There's plenty more to do, but Pearson said he's well pleased with what has been accomplished so far.
As the city continues to grow, he said, he hopes that parks development will be able to keep up, instead of lagging so far behind that it takes a major bond issue. "One of the problems was that we grew so darn fast in the '90s that we couldn't keep up," he said.
The city is still trying to find a solution to a parking shortage at the McMinnville Senior Center on McDaniel Street. A complication, Pearson said, is that many seniors find walking from remote parking a problem, and immediately adjacent acreage is not in city ownership.
He said the city is still scouting for a good park location out northwest. "There are just no parks up there," he said.
Pearson said he hopes a site for a neighborhood park in the northeast quadrant can be located in the next 12 to 18 months.
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CUTLINE - Mac skate park expansion construction
Published: February 24, 2005
Tom Ballard/News-Register
Above: Workers prepare to pour cement into the new bowl portion of the expanded skate park this morning at Joe Dancer Park in McMinnville. The skate park is 80 percent complete, and should be finished this spring. It was one of the projects included in the Parks Bond Levy passed by voters in 2000.
Right: Cement forms and rebar line the base of the structure before the cement is blown in.
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Old and new blend on Third Street
Published: November 20, 2004
By YVETTE SAARINEN
The News-Register staff
New business owners are discovering old treasures as they remodel buildings in historic downtown McMinnville.
Valley Skate Surf Snow
Ehren McGhehey, a 1995 McMinnville High School graduate, will be opening Valley Skate Surf Snow at 318 N.E. Third St. early next year.
In remodeling the 1905 building, which he bought from Millie Stannard, workers uncovered a magnificent stained glass window bearing the initials "HJ." Some detective work revealed the building was the original home of Harper Jameson.
That store eventually evolved into Oregon Stationers, which Don Lutz operates at 217 N.E. Third St.
McGhehey moved back to McMinnville from Los Angeles, where he had a gig on the TV show "Jackass," now in re-runs. He also starred in a "Jackass" movie and a movie called "Dish Dogs" that is about to me released.
The shop will offer skateboards, surfboards and snowboards, along with clothing, shoes and accessories, including watches. McGhehey said he will maintain the stained glass window and work his store name in under it.
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Skaters to meet tonight
Published: October 14, 2004
The News-Register staff
The McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department is inviting local skateboarders to attend a meeting tonight to go over plans for renovation of the skateboard park at Joe Dancer Park in McMinnville.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in Room 103 of the McMinnville Community Center, 600 N.E. Evans St.
Dreamland Skateparks Inc., which has the contract for the renovation, will have owner and skater Marc "Red" Scott at the meeting to describe the proposed renovation and the recommended features.
Local skaters are invited to comment on the recommendations, intended to provide elements for intermediate and advanced skating. Changes may be made in response to their remarks.
Work on the park could begin in November, depending on weather and ground conditions.
For more information, call the Parks & Recreation Department at 503-434-7310.
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Sports briefs 10/12
Published: October 12, 2004
(...)
Joe Dancer Park skatepark meeting to be held
McMinnville skateboard enthusiasts are invited to join the McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department and Dreamland Skateparks, Inc. on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. to discuss and finalize plans for the renovation and possible expansion of the Joe Dancer Park skatepark.
The meeting will be held in room 103 at the McMinnville Community Center.
Dreamland Skateparks, Inc. has constructed world-class skateparks throughout the northwest and internationally including the award-winning park in Newberg.
Dreamland owner and skater Marc "Red" Scott will be on hand to meet with skaters and to describe the proposed skatepark renovations and features that are being recommended in response to input received from local skaters during two meetings held in the spring and fall of 2003.
The Dancer Park renovation design is intended to provide skate elements for intermediate and advanced skaters. Final design refinements may be made based on skater input on Thursday.
Depending on weather and ground conditions, the skatepark renovation project could begin as early as November. The Dancer Park skatepark renovation project is being funded with park development bond dollars approved by McMinnville voters in November 2000.
A small beginning to intermediate skatepark with modular streetscape features is also being developed within the new Community Park in southwest McMinnville and will open next summer.
For further information, contact the McMinnville Parks and Recreation Department at 503-434-7310.
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OMI complex catches council eye
Published: September 16, 2004
By NICOLE MONTESANO
Of the News-Register
In other business, the council:
Awarded a $135,000 contract to Dreamland Skateparks of Lincoln City for designing and implementing an expansion and renovation of the skateboard park in Joe Dancer Park.
When completed, Parks Director Jay Pearson told the council, the facility will be aimed at intermediate and advanced skaters. The city plans to develop a skatepark for beginners in its new Southwest Community Park, next to Columbus Elementary School.
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City set to upgrade skate park
Published: July 24, 2004
By KELLY COPELAND
Of the News-Register
Thanks to the McMinnville Parks & Recreation Department, skaters of all ages will soon be able to enjoy a newly renovated skate park on the grounds of Joe Dancer Park.
Plans for renovating and expanding the facility have been in the hopper for several years now - ever since voters approved a 2000 bond issue that included funding.
According to Director Jay Pearson, the start of skate park work has been awaiting completion of other improvements at Dancer, involving playing fields and parking facilities. That work has been completed.
On July 16, the department conducted a tour for potential bidders on the project.
Only one showed up. It was Dreamlane Skatepark, a Lincoln City firm that has built skateparks all over the world, most recently in Idaho and Italy.
Pearson said that does not necessarily mean Dreamlane is going to get the job. It must still submit a written proposal by next week's deadline, outlining an acceptable budget, design and timeline, he said.
The work is budgeted at $140,000. The city is figuring on having it done in two phases, with a fall completion date.
The original facility was developed in 1995 at a bare-bones cost of $20,000. "Kids participated in the initial work when the site was designed and built," Pearson said.
The city began working on plans for renovating and expanding the park several years ago.
The impetus came from a group of local skaters. They went to Pearson with some of their ideas, and he took it to heart.
"Kids that are interested in skating locally have come in to the office, and we've asked them to put plans on paper," he said. "They came up with a collection of ideas.
"Whether or not that comes to be built, we don't know. But we do have a preliminary plan that we're aiming toward."
Sean Marshall of McMinnville and Shawn Winn of Amity are among local skaters looking forward to an upgrade.
"It's kind of exciting," Marshall said. "It's been anticipated by all of the local skaters."
Although neither of them has participated in the design work or been briefed on the details, they both harbor hopes and dreams.
As constituted, the park features only a pyramid, quarter pipe and rail, and according to Winn, the rail is too advanced for the rest of the park. He would like a wider array of attractions and a rail of less difficulty.
Both suggest adding a bigger half pipe and installing angle iron along the ledges skaters use to ride on.
They say the real key in developing a skate park, though, is the design. "As long as they make it flow," Winn said.
When not skating at Dancer Park, Marshall and Winn travel to Dallas and Amity to skate. They usually spend the whole day.
They can't justify that at Dancer, because the facility is so small. So when they stay in McMinnville, they also spend time at schools like Adams and Duniway, where skating isn't actually legal.
Marshall made it clear they don't do it to cause trouble. It's just lack of other opportunity.
"There are two choices," he said. "Either skate here or where it's illegal. It's a gamble."
Expansion and renovation at Dancer would solve the problem for them, they agree.
Upon learning Dreamlane seems to have the inside track on the project, they nodded their heads in approval. "If they design this place, it'll really be cool," Marshall said.
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Letters to the Editor - Feb. 28, 2004
Published: February 28, 2004
Building skating park would solve problems
To the Editor:
I'm 21 years old and I live for skateboarding. My friend had a couple of police officers come to his house because he has a skate ramp in his backyard that is too big. So he has to tear down the structure that covers the ramp. Doing this is going to cause the rain to destroy the ramp they spent money building.
Why are we worried about some ramp in someone's backyard? This town hates skateboarding and everything associated with it.
It rains nine months out of the year. We should be paying attention to the criminals, not skateboarders. But in McMinnville, we are considered criminals.
Also, I heard about the new skatepark. The city had enough money to make a pointless parking lot and 20 soccer fields in Joe Dancer Park. Plus the soccer fields bring problems like drinking, which is obviously illegal.
We can't skate on any school grounds. Why not? I pay taxes. When the police come, we get a ticket, carrying a fine of up to $2,500 for criminal trespassing. There's nothing criminal about it.
So what do we do? We go and skate the ramp in my friend's backyard, which is lit until 9 p.m. Doing this helps keep us off private property. But this is McMinnville and nothing good lasts.
This town wastes too much money worrying about skateboarding. You should be worrying about the drugs in this town. It's bad and not getting any better. But let's go bust some kids for having fun and exercising. You want to fix this problem? Build us an indoor skatepark.
Neal Miller
726 S.W. Taft St., McMinnville
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Meeting slated on skate park
Published: August 30, 2003
The News-Register staff
The McMinnville Parks & Recreation Department will hold a skateboard planning session at 4 p.m. Wednesday in room 203 of the McMinnville Community Center, 600 N.E. Evans St.
Marc Scott of Deamland Skateparks, which designed and built the nationally recognized skate park in Newberg several years ago, will discuss with skaters their ideas for upgrading the skateboard facility in McMinnville's Joe Dancer Park.
Funding for the $140,000 project was included in the parks improvement bond issue passed by voters three years ago.
Dreamland has been involved in designing and building parks throughout Oregon and the Northwest. The company plans to ask skaters to prioritize their ideas and provide input on safety rules and behavior guidelines.
For more information, call the community center at 503-434-7359.
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Skaters like look of city park plans
Published: July 17, 2003
By ERIN ROOK
Of the News-Register
Skateboarders of all ages gathered in the community center Wednesday to contribute their ideas to two skate park projects - renovation of the existing facility in Joe Dancer Park and development of a new one in a 20-acre park under development near Columbus Elementary School in southwest McMinnville.
"We're looking at providing services on two levels," Parks and Recreation Director Jay Pearson told them. The expanded Joe Dancer facility will offer a more challenging experience for more advanced skaters, he said, while the skate feature in the community park will be geared toward beginning and intermediate skaters from the neighborhood.
Pearson showed skateboarders the city's tentative designs for both parks, based on earlier discussion with the skater community. He also gave them the chance to experiment with the designs using foam models of skate features on a large paper grid.
The main focus this meeting was on the southwest project, and skaters proved supportive of the city's plans.
That came as a relief to Pearson. He said he thought he might be in for a rockier reception.
"We're really just confirming that the input for the southwest community park feature is accurate and setting the stage for future meetings," Pearson said, noting, "We don't want the skate feature to dominate the park. There are noise issues. There are attitude issues. There are garbage issues."
Future meetings will focus on the Dancer design, as well as behavior, rules and enforcement. Pearson said it will be scheduled at the convenience of Dreamland Skateparks.
Dreamland is the company that designed Newberg's nationally heralded skate park. Pearson emphasized, however, that the Dancer park will not rival Newberg's 30,000-square-foot park, which was recently acclaimed best in the world by Thrasher Skateboard Magazine.
When the Dancer facility was developed seven years ago, park technology was in its infancy. With the planned improvements, Pearson said, "We're trying to catch up a little bit."
Pearson said he recently went down to the existing Dancer facility with Dreamland representatives to explore options.
Because the park is a flood plain, it can be difficult to secure building permits.
However, Pearson is confident the proposed upgrade would prove feasible and worthwhile. "It doesn't expand the park terrifically, but it certainly makes it more interesting," he said.
While the city is working with Dreamland on the Dancer work, the modular features proposed for the new southwest park are being handled by SkateWave, which had representatives at Wednesday's meeting. A recent survey of 2,000 parks and recreation directors across the county showed indicated about 80 percent are using SkateWave, Pearson said.
Together, the two projects will cost about $220,000.
The Dancer work is being funded out of a parks bond issue passed three years ago. It has a budget of about $140,000.
The skate feature in the southwest community park has a budget of about $80,00. The money for it is coming out of the city's general fund.
Pearson also entertained suggestions for future improvements, not covered in the current budget. He said it may eventually be possible to get lights and cover put up for the facility going into the new park.
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