Plans to build a large skateboarding park next to Simon Rodia’s folk-art masterpiece, the Watts Towers, has unhappy admirers of the towers girding for a land-use fight against high-powered opposition.

City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes Watts, is a key proponent of the skate park, which also is being pushed by Circe Wallace, a manager for the L.A. sports marketing and management company, Wasserman Media Group, and two of her pro skateboarder clients, Terry Kennedy and Paul Rodriguez. Skateboarding star Tony Hawk has raised $44,000 toward its estimated cost of $350,000 or more.

Although acknowledging that youngsters in Watts need more recreational opportunities, opponents of the skate park, which would be longer than a football field and two-thirds as wide, are asking why it has to occupy a vacant parcel about 40 yards from the vulnerable towers.

They worry that a noisy attraction could interfere with visitors’ enjoyment of the towers and that the skate park could bring in graffiti taggers, drug users and violence, threatening both the physical safety of Rodia’s fantastical, ornately decorated structures and their potential to draw tourism.


Hahn says she has focused on the towers-adjacent parcel because, unlike other potential sites in Watts, no gang claims the spot as part of its turf. She also thinks a skate park can complement the towers by bringing more youngsters in contact with the arts programs there and says there’s nothing unwholesome about skate culture that would pose a threat to the landmark’s security or to a neighboring, city-run exhibition space and youth arts center.

HAMMER CITY TALK

To​ illustrate​ the​ importance​ of​ giving​ youths​ things​ to​ do,​ skateboarder​ Deshan​ Rivera,​ 26(HAMMER​ CITY/KICK​ IT),​ held​ up​ his​ skateboard​ to​ show​ the​ hole​ from​ a​ bullet​ that​ had​ narrowly​ missed​ him(at​ Wednesday​ night’s​ 6th​ District​ community​ budget​ meeting).​

Rivera​ explained​ after​ the​ meeting​ that​ on​ Aug.​ 15​ he​ had​ been​ shot​ at​ by​ a​ teenager​ on​ Henderson​ Avenue​ near​ the​ skate​ park.​

“If​ the​ kids​ don’t​ have​ anywhere​ to​ go​ to​ be​ productive,​ they’re​ going​ to​ be​ shooting​ in​ the​ streets,”​ Rivera​ said.​

SOURCE​ :​ PRESS​ TELEGRAM​ http://www.presstele​gram.com/search/ci_1​3213002

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