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April 26, 2001
By Janelle Holden Dressed in suits and ties, six teenage skateboarders spoke up for skaters’ rights at a Cortez City Council meeting on Tuesday. "I would have to say that I really wouldn’t want to hit a senior citizen walking out of a store. That would be catastrophic," skater Alex Thorkelson told the council. But despite the ’boarders’ pleas, the council passed an ordinance that seeks to rein in skateboarding on city sidewalks. Although it is already illegal to ride wheeled vehicles on a seven-block section of Cortez that includes part of Main Street, the new ordinance beefs up the penalties for getting caught. It provides a fine of up to $300 for a first offense. Second-time offenders will never see their skateboard, bicycle or scooter again, under the new ordinance, in addition to facing a possible $300 fine. Adult offenders could also face up to 90 days in jail. Previously, the penalties were just that the license plate, if any, would be removed from the offending wheeled vehicle for 90 days and an unspecified fine charged. The reasons for the ordinance, according to city staff, stem mainly from a concern that skaters will eventually run into an elderly pedestrian who might be seriously hurt. "I’d really hate to see one of our seniors or someone get hit and get a broken hip," explained Mayor Joe Keck. "It could really slow them down." At the meeting, the skaters objected to the stiff penalties and said that they, as a group, had been targeted unfairly by city police. "What I have problems with sometime is that I see scooters on the street, and they don’t get stopped, and we get stopped — really often," said Thorkelson. Jacob Wood testified that even when legally skating outside of the bounded, no-skateboarding area he has been stopped. "These guys are being targeted," agreed Daniel Puls, the student representative who sits on the council. "We as a council don’t want you to be discriminated against," answered council member Bill Rutledge. "Everyone should be treated equally." Chief of Police Roy Lane assured the group that he would listen to their complaints of harassment, and told the council the police have never "taken" any skateboards. But after the meeting, Wood said the police have yet to return one of his "decks." Puls explained to the council that the skaters like to ride through Main Street’s nicely paved sidewalks to reach the new skate park in Parque de Vida. "It’s really hard to propel a skateboard down regular sidewalks," explained Puls. "A lot of these guys use these as their mode of transportation." Wood told the council that walking the extra blocks would be a deterrent to skaters who lived on the opposite side of town from the skate park. "It’s more of a disadvantage," he said. "By the time I reach the skate park I’m tired and I don’t want to skate any more." Skateboards can also be expensive to replace. According to Thorkelson, a good "deck" can often cost $200 — a lot of money for most teenagers. But despite the group’s objections, the council unanimously approved the ordinance, with Puls — whose vote is symbolic anyway — abstaining. "We don’t want to totally restrict you guys, so therefore we set some boundaries," council member Jim Herrick explained. County attorney Jim Hatter said the $300 fine looks intimidating, but the municipal judge normally issues a $25 fine for the first offense, and a $50 fine for the second offense. The skaters, who were more agreeable than defensive, eventually admitted that the ordinance was probably necessary because "you can’t trust everybody nowadays." "We’re not punk kids who want to trample old ladies when we see them," Adam Schneider told the Journal. All the skaters admitted they had received tickets for skating on Main Street, but insisted that they were "the most responsible skaters in town." |
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez Journal.
All rights reserved. |
