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TTHHEE TTAATTTTOOOO BRISTOL PRESS MAKING A PERMANENT IMPRESSION SINCE 1994 VOLUME 8 No. 6 City leaders: we support skatepark By KARA DUMOND and CASSIE NOWAK inline skaters and trick bikers could practice and Chairman Gary Schaffrick, because it would be so Former Mayor Bill Stortz said there has to be The Tattoo hang out. popular. more recreation for young people in Bristol. But, New Britain, Farmington and Wolcott are “I’d be a millionaire if I had the money to do it,” he said, he isn’t sure where to put a park and fig- With strong backing from local teens, city offi- among the nearby towns that already have parks. he added. ures insurance will be a cials said recently they support building a skate Skate parks are in the works in West Hartford, Councilman problem. park in Bristol. Simsbury and Glastonbury. Gerard Couture “There may good rea- Mayor Frank Nicastro said he’s “100 percent” They typically cost between $50,000 and said if a skate I’d be a millionaire if I sons not to” do it, Stortz for the project because it is for children and will $75,000 to construct. park is done said. The skatepark might help keep them occupied so they don’t get into Although Tom Conlin, vice chairman of the properly, he not be as popular in alcohol, smoking and misadventures. Board of Finance, said he hadn’t heard of would like to see had the money to do it. a few years, he said. Though officials say they back the idea, the key any proposal, he said he wouldn’t rule it out. it built. On the other hand, test will come in the next couple of months when “Skating looks like lots of fun,” Conlin said. Nicastro said -- Gary Schraffick, city Stortz said, some kids play City Hall prepares a proposed budget for the fiscal “Any more the city can do for people enhances the the project would ball “and others ride on year that starts next July. If they want a skate town and provides an opportunity for younger need the proper Republican party boss skateboards. You can’t park, they’ll have to include funding for it in the people to do something in their spare time.” insurance and exclude one or the other.” annual spending plan. Expense is an issue, he said, but it would be anoth- other legalities. He said the city should put Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski, the er service for taxpayers’ money. He said he is looking into the cost and potential its money where it would be most effective – and chairman of the Board of Finance, said the city Councilman Ken Scott said he backs building a locations for a park. where you could have the best transportation for needs more activities for young people. skate park in town. Schaffrick said the downtown revitalization young people to get to it. But, he said, funds have to be available before “I think we need to have something in our city plan could focus on a skate park because it would The first test for the proposal will be whether a skate park can be built. for the teens to do to occupy their time,” Scott draw young people to the city center – where the parks commission decides to put money in its Bristol is already behind the curve on creating said. many already come to skate illegally on the Barnes budget plan, something that could be decided in a municipal skate park where local skateboarders, ”It should happen,” said Republican Party Group property. mid-January. Teens skate on, despite boy’s death Friend recalls trick bike rider as ‘daredevil’ who tried dangerous stunts By KAISHI LEE City Civic Plaza. His handlebars were undeterred by the freak and elbows. The Tattoo slammed into his chest and accident that claimed Chau’s Rick Dovey, the managing knocked him unconscious, life. director of ESPN Star Sports SINGAPORE – Three days according to the Straits Times, “It just doesn’t affect me at said in a statement that the com- after a 14-year-old boy doing Singapore’s major newspaper. bicycle stunts died during a He died a little later at a hospi- practice session, ESPN’s Asian tal. Harry died and they are concerned Xtour, local boarders at Skate Because of the death, police Park were still performing cancelled the ESPN competition about safety regulations. stunts. in Singapore. But some were talking about Boarders gathered during -- Lawrence Lee, 19 Harry Chau, too. term break at the Skate Park, Dino Noordin, a 12-year-old located at the heart of Orchard all,” said skateboarder Alvelyn pany is “deeply saddened” by skateboarder who knew Chau, Road in the mall district. C. Koh, 15. “I don’t take it (skate- Chau’s death “and we extend to said his friend – whom he was “Skate Park’s a great place to boarding) to the extreme.” his family our heartfelt sympa- confident would eventually turn socialize. Tertiary students usu- Lee said that minor accidents thy during this difficult time.” pro — was playing around with ally come here,” said 19-year-old can happen to anyone and every Mai Tatoy, an ESPN Star his bike just last week. Lawrence Lee. stunt means getting hurt with Sports spokeswoman, declined “I’ve seen him do dangerous When asked if the authorities scratch and bruises. to answer specific questions stunts like pancake whip, can- had the right to cancel the Asian Effendi Hazali, 14, who’s been from The Tattoo. can, 360, no-hander and Xtour competition, four board- skateboarding for the past two Chau’s death is the first in low-footer,” Noordin said. ers there nodded their heads – years, said there is a 5 to 10 per- the six-year history of ESPN “He’s a half-daredevil. another indication that cent chance of having some sort extreme sports competition, Sometimes, when he attempts a Singapore’s worldwide reputa- of accident when trying tricks. which includes the X Trials dangerous stunt, he’d brake tion as a nanny state is probably For a skateboarder, the teens event held in Bristol last June. halfway and say ‘scared,’” deserved. said, the dangerous stunts are Noordin said. “Harry died and they (the the 360-degree flip, the K-grid, Chau died Dec. 6 after crash- authorities) are concerned about the board slide and hand flips. Kaishi Lee, a Tattoo staff Katie Jordan / The Tattoo ing during a trick on the BMX safety regulations,” Lee said. Hazali said his worst injuries writer, is a high school student Park course at the Ngee Ann The four boarders said they were bloody gashes on his knees in Singapore. Tattoo journalists win regional awards Merry Christmas from The Tattoo By SARA GREENE Twelve student writers for The grabbed honors for a column on Tattoo took home awards this teen driving that ran last spring. The Tattoo year from New England’s premier Norton is now studying at the As the holidays approach, most everyone starts thinking about presents, school high school journalism contest, University of Connecticut. the Scholastic Press Forum at A California contributor, Noel vacation, and parties. But some teens during this holiday season are barely scrap- American International College. Fahden, topped the cartoon cate- ing by. They can’t look forward to unwrapping presents or going to parties. To some Bristol Eastern High School gory for an illustration she did of them, an unselfish concern for their families is what matters most. graduate Joe Wilbur, now a stu- that ran in The Tattoo’s 2000 The Tattoo’s Christmas Presence project hopes to help struggling Bristol teens dent at the University of North Insider’s Guide. Fahden is a stu- have a happier holiday. The Family Center and the Bristol Emergency Shelter found Carolina at Greensboro, captured dent at the University of teens who were in dire financial straits, and Tattoo writers profiled them. four honors, including the WEEI Pennsylvania. Donations of money or gifts for these needy teens can be dropped off at The Enterprise Award that recognized Wilbur won awards in the Bristol Press, 99 Main St. Checks can be made out to The Tattoo’s Christmas his work for The Tattoo. columns and feature categories. Presence, and sent to The Tattoo, c/o Steve Collins and Jackie Majerus, P.O. Box The Tattoo garnered seven dif- His column, warning teens not to ferent awards in the annual com- get lost in the system in high 483, Bristol,CT 06011-0483. Help us show these teens that their community cares. petition, which attracted more school, was part of the Insider’s than 2,400 entries from more than Guide. The feature writing award Hey, it looks a lot bet- 300 high schools in New England that Wilbur secured was for free- ter in person, so go to and New York. lance work he did for The Bristol the Children’s Library The Tattoo won in the news Press covering the 2000 Memorial and check out The feature category for its four-issue Day celebrations. series starting in August 2000 A number of Tattoo writers Tattoo’s offering in called an Insider’s Guide to High shared in the news feature honor the Festival of Trees, School, which sought to tell stu- for the entire Insider’s Guide. an annual event of dents what they really need to They were Bristol Central High the Friends of the know to survive successfully all School freshman Danielle Bristol Public Library. the way through their senior year. Letourneau; Eastern students Our tree is on display Also in the news feature cate- Katie Jordan, Mike Nguyen, through New Year’s.