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New skate park set to open by month's end
(by Kimberly Redmond - September 22, 2008)
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Photo Courtesy Of Jamie Cohen
Old Tappan Mayor Victor Polce (left) and River Vale Mayor Joe Blundo stand atop one of the skateboarding platforms during Old Tappan Day. The new skate park is expected to open by the end of the month.
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About three years ago, Old Tappan Councilman Guy Carnazza received a letter from Christian Harnisch, a borough teenager who simply wanted a place to skateboard. Harnisch’s letter came following a drawn out series of meetings and letters to borough officials addressing the creation of a skate park. As an assignment for his ninth grade computer class, Harnisch drafted a letter to officials flat out asking why there seemed to be no progress with the skate park project. The letter resonated with Carnazza simply because “it was from the heart!”
Now, the new skate park at
Stone
Point
Park
is set to open by the end of the month. While an official opening date has yet to be announced, officials say the nearly completed park will open once the surrounding four foot high fence is installed and a sign of the rules and regulations is posted outside the park.
The project at
Stone
Point
Park
has been in the works since the Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation trust fund awarded a grant of $12,500 to partially fund the park. River Vale and Old Tappan contributed about $12,500 each.
As a multi-use facility, the park can be seasonally switched to accommodate the needs of its visitors. During the winter, the park will be turned into an ice skating rink. The park will be switched to a basketball court in the spring/early summer. The basketball court will provide an additional location for the summer basketball league to practice. During late summer and fall, the park will be configured for skateboarding and inline skating. Carnazza called the multi-use park a “clever idea,” as it will create continuous use of the space throughout the year.
As with any borough park, skaters must adhere to the rules and regulations. The use of protective gear, including helmets, elbow and kneepads, is required. As per the direction of the borough’s insurance carrier, the Joint Insurance Company, skaters must register with the Old Tappan Recreation Commission in order to obtain an ID badge. Anyone without a badge will not be permitted to skate at
Stone
Point
Park
. Those who wish to skate are required to sign a participant release of liability form to be kept on file. Skaters must be residents of either Old Tappan or River Vale.
Harnisch still can’t believe the skate park was built. “It is pretty shocking. I mean, there’s a skate park in Old Tappan,” he said. “No one thought this would ever happen. I think it proves what can be accomplished through communication.”
Kimberly Redmond's e-mail address is redmondk@northjersey.com.
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