In a time when adolescents and teenagers spend far too much of their personal time immersed in laptops and smartphones, the Port Monmouth Skate Park in Middletown N.J. provided a refreshing alternative. It offered an outlet for kids to socialize and exercise. The park opened in 2001 using state Green Acres funds, which are specifically used to acquire land that will be used for recreational activities. But despite taxpayer money being used to open this much-needed space, the township of Middletown unexpectedly closed the skate park in 2010, citing reasons such as that it was unsupervised – and forcing park patrons to find far-more-unsafe skating venue options, notably supermarket parking lots.

The fact is, the Port Monmouth Skate Park was operated no differently than the countless others that remain open in neighboring towns. If the decision to close the park came down to a liability issue, then the township appears to be more interested in saving its own rear end than caring for the safety and enjoyment of area children.

We are asking that you please sign this petition and send a message to Middletown, N.J! Let’s get this park back open for the kids!