Improvements needed at Monte Rio’s skate park for school year

My name is Milo Munson and I’m 13-years-old. I use the Monte Rio Creekside Skatepark almost every single day. Unless I'm out of town with my family this is the place I want to be the most. I used to do a lot of martial arts with my older sister Millie. When they closed our jiu-jitsu academy we had to take our activities outside. My neighbor Paul Jr. gave me his old board so I headed to Monte Rio with it. Tristen, one of the local skateboard kids fixed my board so I could turn. I have been skating ever since. I have decided that I'm going to dedicate my free time to skateboarding at my favorite skate park in Monte Rio.

To demonstrate my commitment to the Monte Rio Creekside skateboard park me and my father have for the last 2 years picked up garbage, swept, donated obstacles, and weed whacked. This year the park employees have been weed whacking for us (thank you). The skateboarding and the skateboard park have brought my family and me closer together. I am proud that my big sister comes and skateboards with me! My sister brings lots of her friends from Sebastopol. It is nice to see people coming this way to skateboard at our skateboard park! Chill vibes, nice people, good snake run, not as hot as other places, and it is beautiful. That is what Millie has to say about our park! Wow!!

My dad suggested that we ask the skateboarders (including the kids) what would be their top five wish lists for skatepark improvements and/or upgrades. I am happy to report that we got about 25 questionnaires back with drawings and explanations included! Some ideas were:

1. Big bowl and Mini bowl

2. Widen all the edges of the skatepark! Maybe a pump track all the way around?

3. Raised blocks, rails, halfpipe. Etc.

4. Comfortable seating, water, shade.

All of this, plus a hand-drawn rendition of the improved Park version was handed to Odom (Leslie the park supervisor's grandson, and friend of Milo’s). The wish-list packet then made its way to the desk of the people in charge of the park. These people of great importance loved it and asked the skateboard community to come to have a meeting with them. The meeting went really well, in fact, it went so well I can't believe it. They told all the skateboarders in attendance that they had $65,000 to spend on the skateboard park improvements. They also asked the skateboarders if we could try to raise an additional 20% to add to the MRRPD Grant.

My father and I saw Wendell Trapp (owner of Canyon Rock Quarry) and asked him if he would donate some cement for the park and he seemed receptive to that, although no commitment was made. Steve Baxman, the Monte Rio fire chief said that Wendell does that sort of stuff for the community! Cool beans!

I am super excited and want to help! I know a lot of strong, helpful, healthy people who also want to help! This is going to be a big project and will be a challenge but it is all good because it is a good project.

Any direct donations can be given to Steve Baxman- Chair/ Jean Sasso- Treasurer/ Paul DuBray- Director/ Marina McTaggart- Director/ Linda Santa Cruz- Director/ MRRPD office at 707-865-2487. To make this skateboard park a destination skateboard park it is going to take money!

Board meetings: Second Monday every month, 6:00 pm. Come skate with us!! Bring your kids, we usually have an extra board laying around. Shout out to Kenny Reed! Thank you for coming to the meeting, signing T-Shirts, and just being there! Superhero Kenny!!