RE: Norfolk council debating skate park for waterfront parcel (VA Pilot, 25 Dec. 07)

This skate park is much needed. Cool places like this for youth are essential to keep them from causing trouble. Kids today get into trouble because their is not enough for them to do. Why is it that an adult can go say, play tennis or golf at a tax supported venue but youth cannot? The youth of Norfolk spend a much larger percentage of their money then that of their parents. They have no other expenses. They may not own a house or car that produces tax dollars, but they spend a fortune in the cities stores and businesses. Getting the youth off the street and doing something else is a wonderful idea. To explain it to those who are closed-minded and pay no mind to skateboards, skateboarding requires an extreme amount of skill and guts. If we could channel that mentality towards creative activities, the area would benefit greatly. Besides, in the way of development, the area around a skate park would be prime retail space for a clothing store, a skate shop, maybe a small, simple restaurant. The opportunities are endless. But for those who have closed single-track minds, go back to the fifties. For the rest of us, think out-of-the-box. The man who kept the state of mind of past never made a dime. The man who takes a new idea and nurtures it, made the fortune.