No euphoria expressed or implied

Dear Mr. Schwartz,

Thank you for your kind note. Its obvious that we both have Benicia's best interests in mind. My only point was to say that eliminating the skateboard park probably didn't help the problems on First Street and at the shopping center that you described in your note. It would be interesting to see the police department stats re skateboarding before and after Willow Glen was closed. My guess would be that they are up significantly, as Chief Spagnoli alluded.

As far as the knives, under-aged drinking, and drug activity you mentioned, I'm not sure that closing the park solved those problems either. Instead, they have just been spread out over the entire city. Does a skateboard park really serve as a crime magnet? I doubt it. I think the vast majority of Benicia's youth are great kids. I haven't seen any recent police reports in the daily activity log regarding those types of problems at the new skateboard park located behind Matthew Turner.

No, you are right; I don't have a skateboard park behind my house. I do have a public pathway behind it, and it is frequently used by boarders, and that is just fine with me. I think we agree that its not the boarders or the bikers that are the problem; its those that lack the respect for others.

Unfortunately, in this "me me me" culture that has been fostered over the last few years, few care about anything or anyone but themselves, and that is truly sad.

--Ross Sagun




I too had a skateboard as a kid. This was the era way before skate parks and the like. I in no way blame the skaters for all the defacing, tagging, graffiti, etc. that is so prevalant in this town. I do feel however there is a blatant disregard for other citizens from kids/teens on bikes and skateboards. Try making an ATM deposit at Solano square sometime. Kids on skateboards go through the parking lot with reckless abandon, playing "chicken" with cars and then when you hit the brakes to avoid hitting them and ask them to watch out, in most cases you are thanked with a middle finger and profanity. Try taking a walk on First Street to window shop or relax, you have an excellent chance of being hit by children/teens tearing down the sidewalks on their bikes, skateboard, Razor Scooters, and the like. When you either try to avoid them and point out the signs, in most cases you get the same reaction as I stated about Solano Square. The Willow Glen skatepark was not the euphoric place Mr. Sagun describes. I have been a member of Benicia Fitness during both ownerships. I can't tell you how many times over the years the Police had to come out there to break up fights (I saw knives and the like confiscated) as well as underage drinking, and even some drug activity. The same activity that Mr. Sagun has worked on stopping at the tunnel is not much different from what went on at the skatepark....the difference is the skatepark is not behind "his" house. It is not skateboarding or bikes that are the problem. To me it is a lack of respect for other people and property by whoever is engaging in these activities. Unfortunately the only solution as I see it is increased police patrols and citizen's reporting what they see when they see it. When the culprits are caught there need to be serious implications such as mandatory community service and whatever else it takes to send the message that this will not be tolerated and is socially unacceptable. Jeff Schwartz