To all of the incredible supporters,

I want to reach out and thank everyone for providing their unwavering support for this petition! It brings much joy to all of those involved to see the lives James has made an impact on and hearing/reading all of the stories and seeing pictures everyone has from their time spent with him. Thank you so much!

With that said, the original idea was to alter the name of the Lydia Gold Skatepark. With respects to the family and those who are aware of Lydia Gold's legacy and her impact on the arts, music scene, and being a proponent of skateboarding in Huntsville, we want to broaden the idea of memorializing James in a way that is respectful and acceptable for our city. The best way to do this would be recognizing all of the potential options for this to occur within reason. Some of these would be (but not limited to):

1) Combine the names of both James Hardy and Lydia Gold into a singular title (ex. James Hardy Memorial at Lydia Gold, James Hardy Memorial Park presented by Lydia Gold, etc.).

2) A mural commemorating James (and Vader) commissioned by a local artist.

3) A statue commemorating James (and Vader) commissioned by a local artist.

Again, these are just some of the ideas that have been floating around that could be possible/viable options for memorializing James in a respectful manner.

At this time, the grief is still very palpable from this major loss in the skateboard industry, our local community, and for the direct family as well. I believe it would be best to allow some time to let the dust settle before really pushing this forward. I do believe we should continue to gain support for the cause that this petition was first launched for. Let's continue to share this petition and push for a memorial to commemorate James and his impact on our community.

Thank you all for your time and support and looking forward to what's next!

V/r,

Matt K.