Skateboarding is an activity that provides a wonderful outlet for a surprisingly large slice of our community. From the new skaters getting out of Hyattsville Middle School and learning how to pop an Ollie for the first time, to the veterans clocking out of their 9-5 jobs to hit the park and de-stress; rolling around on a plank and four wheels is a source of recreation, community, and solace for many local residents. 

Skateboarders in Hyattsville have benefited immensely from the city's decision to build Melrose Skatepark, and I personally experience genuine support and interest in my chosen pastime on a daily basis. Unfortunately, in its current form, this treasured resource is not being used to its greatest possible potential!

Every year as the days get shorter, the window when this Skatepark is accessible becomes smaller and smaller. Though initially the park was slightly lit from a number of embedded lights throughout the structures, these have all been removed or broken over time. The result is a park that sits unused for a large portion of the year, limiting the potential good that such a space brings.

City Council recently approved an addition to our trail system that would connect the path where it stops at Rt 1 and Farragut to where is picks up at 41st and Rt 1, by Shortcake Bakery and the Skatepark. I propose that while the area is under construction, we allocate additional funds to bring lighting to the Skatepark for reasonable hours in the early evening.