When the opportunity reveals, Gil Lara visits the skate park in Kilgore to practice his new hobby. He's only been skateboarding for a few months and he's still learning. Lara has family and friends who enjoy skating at the park, but to him, it is a time when he can unwind from the stresses of school.
"This helps me learn and this helps me cope with everyday anxiety and stress," Lara said.
There skate parks currently in Kilgore and Tyler. There's on in Longview, however it is on private property. The city of Longview doesn't own a public skate park. To Lara, having one would preferred since he wouldn't have to drive as far. Longview's director of parks and rec, Scott Caron, said it would be at Ingram Park.
"It [the park] has these tennis courts that are under utilized and so we felt that was appropriate to reuse," Caron said.
The park would feature structure for skaters and BMX riders, however, the city doesn't have the funds for it. Brian Dodson, inquired about having a public skate park and his goal is to raise $80,000. He's in the beginning stages of discussing possibilities and he's collected $1,500. According to the Scott Caron, Dodson could achieve his goal by the end of summer 2018.
Before he can accept public donations, Dodson must get approval from the city's risk management team. Click here, to stay up-to-speed regarding the plans.