moving mountains
manchester’s new skatepark
The pristine concrete skatepark was artfully designed by internationally renowned
Seattle, Washington–based design firm Grindline Skateparks, and it now stands as
an impeccably engineered and executed monument to the capability of Vermont
community cooperation.
When the Manchester Skatepark Committee first started meeting years ago with
a vision for a new skatepark, finding sources of funding was a major obstacle. Bill
Strecker, veteran skateboarder and owner of the newly opened Arson Skate Shop in
Manchester, detailed the early years of the committee. “I became part of the group
seven years ago. We tirelessly met for years to decide on an initial plan for the park.
We were slow-moving because in the early days we were just two skaters and a
couple of moms in town working together. The town itself jumped in after five years
and they got some people who had helped with fundraising. Once we got a police
officer, a public relations person, the town engineer, and a couple more people behind
us, it just built from there. The town then offered to [support] us with $50,000 from
an urban planning fund.”
It was at that point that large donations started coming in. A couple of local
individuals and an anonymous donor gave $185,000 toward the project. Peckham
Industries, who supplied the concrete for the park’s construction, donated $25,000 of
the costs, and local hardware store rk Miles gave generously as well. There
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50 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine.com