Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Skatepark In Winter (2008-2009 Edition)

Last February I took this picture, before the lights were installed and construction on the pavilion began.

Here's how it looks now:


This was the first time I'd been down there at night with the lights on, and I was surprised how bright they are. Its like daylight when you're under them. I was kind of surprised that some hearty skateboarders hadn't shoveled some ramps off, but this ice/sleet/snow/cement mixture that came down the other day isn't easy shoveling. Since the contractor didn't get the pavilion done by the end of the skatepark season, its fenced off with portable fencing.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

So the city is trying to cut costs and save some money. BS! What a waste of taxpayer dollars to light the skate park at night in the winter. I haven’t seen any skaters down there in this kind of weather. It seems the skaters are smarter than our elected officials. Of coarse the kids don’t have to have a very high IQ to accomplish that. Turn the lights off and close the skate park at night during the winter you IDIOTS!

QuadCityImages said...

Classy comments from the negative folks as always.

Anonymous said...

Why light the park at night when nobody is using it? QCI has his head in the sand. Not all is peachy keen in good old Dport!

Anonymous said...

Lighting, It’s a simple matter of safety and security. Not to mention liability. It’s an unfinished construction site.

Whoever is paying for the lighting is being pro-active, protecting the interests of the city. I would hope the city continues to light the site after all construction is finished.

QCI, nice images.

Anonymous, one again you fail to think things through. Too quick to be sucked into negativity, once in, you don’t seem to be able to climb out.

Anonymous said...

There is a huge difference between security lighting and what goes on now. The difference shows up on the tax bill.

Anonymous said...

The skate park is finished. What part of that don’t you uninformed understand? The pavilion isn’t finished that’s why it is fenced off. Face the facts, the city is wasting our tax dollars lighting the skate park in this sub freezing weather. Is it negativity to point out wasteful spending in our city? I think not, and I’m not alone. Oh, I forgot everything is roses in Davenport. Get your head out of your… You fill in the blank any way you want.

QuadCityImages said...

A few reasons to leave the lights on.

1. It discourages criminal activity
2. It allows any criminal activity that DOES occur to be well-recorded by the security cameras.
3. It shows off the skatepark to anyone driving past on 61 who may decide to come back and visit it in warmer weather.
4. During a NORMAL winter, there are days when the temperature warms up to the 40's or even 50's, which would then allow kids to use the park again. There's no sense closing it for the whole Winter.
5. It gives you guys something to complain about.

Anonymous said...

6. Someone else is footing the bill.

Anonymous said...

7. The lights being left on are handy for the little bangers so they can see while defacing public property and stealing the servalance cameras.

Anonymous said...

No need for lights to avoid liability, for whomever made that argument.

Although I'm not a big fan of wasting taxpayer dollars, I'm guessing the lighting is not a very big bill. It looks nice, too. Prevents vandalism, etc.

Anonymous said...

Conservative Demo here:
Since the "E" and the "U" are four keys apart on the keyboard, I am going to assume that it's not a mis-type and that poster 8:10 really believes that is how the word is spelled.

Geeze guys, rants and general negativity tend to lose their punch and end up becoming comedy when the reader can't help but be distracted by improper spelling or grammar.

Cretins.

QuadCityImages said...

Sometimes I do wonder if some of the posts are parodies rather than serious opinions.

Anonymous said...

Come on guys. Most graduates of Davenport Central spell that word with an i. Sirvailance.

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