Skaters create petition to build new park in Jackson
JACKSON, Tenn. — Some Jacksonians are looking into having a new skate park since the one in Muse Park is not in optimal condition.
“We would come out here and mess around, but if you look, there’s cracks everywhere. It’s rocky pavement. It’s really hard to get started,” said Jenn Fearnley, who helped make the petition.
Some have needed to get creative to do what they enjoy.
“We found a small piece of land downtown, and the owner said we could hang out out there. We built boxes of ramps, and we took them out there, and they stayed for a while and finally someone came through and took them all,” said Daniel Palmer, who helped make the petition.
Fearnley and Daniel Palmer set up a petition and got over a thousand signatures a couple of days after. They are working to make the skate park a reality.
“Right now, we’re in the process of talking to the mayor’s office and getting the land, what we can get, and then, we also need a nonprofit to hold the funds. We want it to be legitimate. We want to work with someone who is established here,” Fearnley said.
Organizers say having a skate park helps in ways different from team sports.
“It is a creative outlet, a little bit different than team sports. I like it because I’m getting a little bit older, I don’t run so good anymore. It really does fill a need for me to be creative,” Daniel Palmer said.
“When it came to this, it leveled the playing field because everyone is about building their own confidence, their own skills, and their own development,” Fearnley said.
Organizers say having a skate park would benefit the community and future skaters.
“We also really just want to create a safe environment for skaters, young and old, to come out and skate. Keep them off the streets, where cars could potentially hit them and stuff like that,” said Ethan Palmer, Daniel Palmer’s brother and a signer of the petition.
“This is about something we could give back, especially to the younger generation,” Daniel Palmer said.
You can sign the petition here.
You can also find a questionnaire here.
