Volunteers spruce up and renovate park and equipment

            The successful refurbishing of the skate park in East Greenville last Saturday brought together generations of skaters working harmoniously to give the Valley's youth a place to gather and opening lines of communication with Project Live UP.

            The day was organized by Project Live UP's Dave Lintvedt, chairman of the Outreach Committee. Comcast, as part of its Comcast Cares Program, defrayed many of the costs and supplied some of the laborers. Lintvedt is a Comcast employee.

            Approximately 40 people of all ages helped in some way on Saturday. Volunteers replaced unusable ramps, applied protective paint, reconfigured the equipment, cleaned up the perimeter and provided food and drink.

            "We were able to get a lot accomplished, in terms of repairs and restoration," Lintvedt said.

            "I was happy to see the youth who use the park get involved in the renovations and be able to offer their suggestions for rearranging the park," Lintvedt added.

            "The kids showed a lot of enthusiasm, and a sense of ownership for the park, which we hope will lead them to better care for the park."       

            Many of the adult volunteers who donated their time and talents were former skaters giving back to the community.

            Gerry Coyle, a Comcast employee, participated with his teenage daughter Ivy.

            Coyle revealed an ulterior motive for his participation. "It's probably a bad choice of mine, but I broke out my old skateboard, and I have it in the car to try things out after we're done reworking everything."

            Upper Perk High School Class of 1996 grad Daniel Coy, a local carpenter, said, "I rode skateboard and biked when I was a kid; we didn't really have anywhere to go. The fact that there's somewhere that can be fixed up to go is good. I'm just here to help."

            Another volunteer, Eugene Davis, also an ex-skater, participated to "basically, show [teen skaters] that other people care. The whole skateboarding thing's like a subculture. When I was one in my early teens, you feel, like, ostracized. I want to show that they're not; they're just as much part of society as all of us."

            Davis was representing PRO-ACT, an advocacy and recovery organization in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

            Lintvedt agreed with Davis' assessment. "There is very little for these kids to do, especially if they are not inclined to play organized sports, or have musical talents.

            "The skate park gives these kids the opportunity to have fun, establish friendships, and blow off steam."

            Chip Miller, one of several Valley teens who turned out to help, acknowledged the negative perception of skaters.

            "We're really not bad people. We're just trying to have fun. It's like a lifestyle to us."

            Miller and friend Nolan Ploucher are confident that the work they did for the park on Saturday has given them a vested interest in respecting and maintaining the area.

            "Anyone who actually cares about it, they're not going to come here and trash the park," Ploucher said.

            "Even more significant are the relationships built between the community members and the skaters," Lintvedt noted in an email.

            "These are connections that were established through working together to achieve the same goal, and which need to be nurtured in the days to come, through the continued care of the park, and of our youth as they face the many challenges of growing-up, reminding us all that we are not alone as we journey through life."