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Wednesday, June 12, 2002

By Susan Jacobs, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Afternoons find these three Millvale teen-agers skateboarding, in-line skating and biking on the borough's narrow sidewalks and streets. Sometimes, they congregate with friends on empty lots to attempt complicated skateboard stunts on makeshift ramps.

They use the sidewalks, streets and empty lots because, like most Pittsburgh suburbs, Millvale does not have an area officially designated for the so-called extreme sports that have become popular in recent years.

That is about to change.

About a year ago, Jeff Woodall Jr., Jesse Zipf and Jim Farren Jr., all 13 now, decided Millvale should have a skate park. They marched to the mayor's office to tell him they needed a place designated for skating.

Mayor Jim Burn was out of the office that day, but he soon called in the three boys to discuss the idea of the park. They presented their idea, suggested some potential sites and gave Burn a cost estimate.

"Council and I were so impressed by their presentation, organization and arguments," Burn said. "They spoke for a lot of kids in the community."

Farren said they spent a month collecting information and photographing potential sites for the park to present to local leaders, but when the time came, they didn't use a formal speech.

"We winged it," he said. "But we had a basic idea [of what to say]."

A few months later, the boys were told that plans were being drawn for the park.

Burn said the borough had been considering the construction of a skate park as part of a $1.6 million riverfront park that is being built, but the boys' interest helped the skate park move faster.

"They were instrumental," he said. "Due to the efforts of these boys, it became something we put steam on."

The skate park, now under construction, is set to open late this month or in July at a site along the Allegheny River, not far from the 40th Street Bridge. Mike Speranzo, who owns a Millvale recording studio, will manage and operate the skate park, to be called Mr. Small's Waterfront Skate Park. He and a handful of other private contributors are investing between $50,000 and $60,000 in the project. The exact cost of the project is unclear, in part because Speranzo and the borough are employing their own workers on the site to keep down costs. Speranzo will cover the cost of insurance for the park, though the land is owned by the borough.

Speranzo said that admission fees to the park have not been set yet but those who pay an annual membership fee of $40 to $60 would pay between $5 and $10 per day to use the park.

A nearby storage building owned by the borough is being renovated to house bathrooms, a snack bar, a retail skate shop and a "half-pipe" -- a U-shaped ramp. The shop is to be operated by the owners of Head Board Snowboard Shop on the South Side. Outside, a second half-pipe will be installed, along with other ramps and obstacles for skateboarding. One of the half-pipes is being donated from the 2001 X-Games held in Philadelphia.

"Anything a skateboarder will be looking for, this place is going to have," Burn said. He said the three boys will be invited to the opening ceremonies for the park.

Speranzo said that a grand opening celebration, which will take place after the park has been officially open for a while, is being planned to include demonstrations from professional skaters.

When the park opens, motorists on the 40th Street Bridge will be able to look down and see teen-agers skating and doing stunts. The riverfront park also will include a trail and places to rent bikes and canoes. Because Millvale residents will have to cross Route 28 to get to the park, a protected walkway will be built.

Anna Woodall said the park will provide a safer alternative to skating in the streets. She said she's heard lots of positive comments about it.

Jeff Woodall said he and his friends are waiting anxiously for the park to open, but some of their peers find the project too good to be true.

"A lot of people don't believe us," Zipf said.

Now that school has ended for the summer, the boys will spend their afternoons playing street hockey and skating in their neighborhood until the park opens.