“Skateboard park could be built by this Fall - Abington Mariner” plus 3 more |
- Skateboard park could be built by this Fall - Abington Mariner
- Hello Kitty + Skateboards = Art - Orange County Weekly
- Rubberband bracelets latest tween trend - Batavia Sun
- Vampire Weekend's 'Holiday' Music Video Arrives in Full - AceShowbiz
| Skateboard park could be built by this Fall - Abington Mariner Posted: 28 May 2010 05:12 AM PDT Plans to build the long-anticipated skateboard park at the new D.P.W./athletic fields complex off Fort Hill Street as originally planned are moving forward after several delays. The Carlson Fields were recently dedicated in memory of late Hingham Police Chief Steven Carlson. On May 12, a Request for Proposals was issued for the design. Proposals are due June 8 by 4 p.m. "This is the last piece of the puzzle," said D.P.W. Building Committee Chairman Robert Garrity. Other than that, there are only a few loose ends to tie up, such as installing the scoreboards as soon as they are delivered (expected to happen soon). "We have a site. We have a budget," the R.F.P. states. The town is seeking assistance from experienced companies and/or individuals to develop the design and will work with the selected designer to prepare a set of plans and specifications that will be used in seeking competitive bids for the construction of the skateboard park, likely by early September. The project could be completed as early as Fall 2010. The R.F.P. is posted on the town website at www.hingham-ma.gov. "It probably won't take long to build," Garrity said. Earlier this year, the selectmen considered redirecting the $175,000 originally earmarked by Town Meeting to build the park to the town's dwindling reserve fund. (Construction had already been delayed until the rest of the project was completed in order to ensure adequate funding.) After addressing the issue of whether to redirect the funds at a well-attended selectmen's meeting last February, the message was clear: Town Meeting voted for it, now build it! While the board heard from residents on both sides of the issue, there was more support for keeping the previous Town Meeting promise. Undoing the previous vote would have required Town Meeting approval. "We've always had a site for it," Garrity said. A number of skateboard park advocates have worked with the committee over the years to come up with the safest and best plan. In addition, Garrity and other committee members visited skateboard parks in the area to get some ideas on the best way to design one and to see how they were received in those communities. 'Research' "We really did our research. We talked to advocates and visited a number of successful skateboard parks," he said. "Our feeling was if we were going to do it, we should do it right – in a way that fits in with the fields." Garrity personally visited the "premier skateboard park" in Wellfleet, which he said has been a big success all around. "It's a beautiful facility. I was told it was the best piece of the town's recreation program, despite former negativity. It's been well-received, and there have been no problems with the kids." Garrity also noted that skateboard park designs have evolved over the years and are now more attractive than they were initially. "Designs have improved greatly in recent years," Garrity said. "They are no longer just a concrete slab with pre-fab structures stuck on the park, or just a series of wooden ramps. Newer skateboard parks are really pretty, complete with landscaping." When asked why it's important to stick to the original plan to build a skateboard park, Garrity replied simply: "Because Town Meeting said so. Town Meeting spoke and specifically included a skateboard park in the overall plan, so it was our mission to see that it gets built. I think it will be a great addition to the complex." The site is rectangular, measuring approximately 65 by 110 feet. It is located at the newly constructed athletic fields complex, which is owned by the town, adjacent to the parking lot. The building committee has been authorized to design and construct a skateboard park there. The R.F.P. requires a description of the proposer's experience in designing skateboard parks, including a list of at least five such facilities designed by that individual or company during the past 10 years. "Building a skateboard park is a little unusual," Garrity said. "It's a specialized area, and there aren't a lot of companies that design them in this part of the country." The chosen designer is expected to submit at least two design options to the committee for its consideration, along with estimated construction costs, and will advise the committee concerning maintenance procedures. "The designer will help the committee figure out what type of facility to build and what structures and building materials to incorporate into the design," Garrity said. "It's really not that complicated. What we want is a fun, safe, and well-built skateboard park." The committee has budgeted $9,000 for the design fee and about $160,000 for construction costs. Once the designer is chosen, the building committee will meet with the company or individual and skateboard enthusiasts to define the scope of the project before the design is drawn up. Part of complex "The skateboard park site is deliberately located right out in the open. We didn't want to stick it in the middle of nowhere," Garrity said. "We wanted it to be viewed as part of the overall athletic development, close to the street so as not to isolate the group of kids who use the park, since there are no coaches as is the case with other sports. This way there will be some oversight. There will be a lot of parents and foot and car traffic in the area. I think this is an ideal location." Garrity is pleased that the project is finally progressing. "This will be a real good community facility. It will kind of merge the skateboard kids with the rest of the kids," he said. The athletic complex also features a Little League field, a girls softball field, two large full-size, all-purpose fields that are large enough for soccer games but that can also be broken down into several smaller fields for younger children who play sports. In addition, there are two outdoor basketball courts and a walking path all around the facility. "Now that the Carlson Fields have been dedicated, a lot more people realize they are there," Garrity said. "People are commenting that they are beautiful. There are a lot of joggers who run around the edge of the fields. It's working out really well."
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| Hello Kitty + Skateboards = Art - Orange County Weekly Posted: 27 May 2010 09:12 PM PDT I don't know how to skateboard, and I just purchased a skateboard. Now, before you point fingers and say, "poseur"—feel free, though—know that it's being mounted on my living-room wall as I type this. Nine months ago, I visited Royal/T in Culver City (which, most of the year, is mainly a Japanese-inspired maid café, which is an art and café space where the servers are dressed in cosplay maid outfits, about which I have no comment) for their exclusive 35th-anniversary celebration of one of the most famous Japanese imports: "Three Apples" was an art show paying tribute to Hello Kitty. ("Three Apples" refers to the cartoon cat's precise weight.) And that's where I spotted said skateboard deck. It was a collaboration between one of the most respected skateboard companies around, Girl, and that familiar, mouthless white cat I'd grown up with. I signed up for a pre-order and waited. And waited. Girl Skateboards was formed in Torrance in 1993 by a few names you might recognize: Rick Howard, Mike Carroll, Spike Jonze. It's no secret that famed film director/hipster Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Where the Wild Things Are) is a diehard skateboarder himself, having started out as both skate photographer and skate-film director. And while there have been tons and tons of streetwear collaborations with Hello Kitty—most resulting in trashy merch suitable only for overweight teens, Invader Zim fans and Hot Topic—this one's actually worth spreading the word about. The 8-inch-wide decks ($64.99) are drawn in the style of "classic" Hello Kitty: the more oblong-headed look the cat sported in her earlier stages, when the color schemes stuck to primary colors and not hot pink and sparkles. She is surrounded by commonplace objects (in the Sanrio world, at least) such as lions, sailboats and bottles of milk, and it reads, "GIRL" and, "Mike Carroll." The top side is solid red, with Hello Kitty sitting on a skateboard holding an apple. Along with the decks, Girl released sets of collectible wheels ($31.99) in white (51mm), red (50mm) or blue (52mm). T-shirts, of course, are also available, in men's sizes in royal blue, black and white ($20). All the merch is still available for purchase at Japan LA in Los Angeles (648 N. Fuller Ave., Los Angeles, 323-934-5201), but I'd stick to shopping online at japanla.com. Finding parking at a store just off Melrose's main drag? Good luck. This column appeared in print as "Hello, Ollie."
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| Rubberband bracelets latest tween trend - Batavia Sun Posted: 28 May 2010 08:28 PM PDT |
| Vampire Weekend's 'Holiday' Music Video Arrives in Full - AceShowbiz Posted: 27 May 2010 02:35 AM PDT Dressed like European dandies, Vampire Weekend go on skateboarding and partying with bikini girls by the swimming pool. Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson and Chris Baio wear powdered wigs, waistcoats, breeches and stockings in Vampire Weekend's "Holiday" music video. Despite getting dressed in an old-schooled way, they still enjoy today's current lifestyle, like having a pool party with bikini babes. "Holiday" is taken from Vampire Weekend's second studio album "Contra". Compared to the clip for their previous single "Giving Up the Gun", this new music video has lower budget as it doesn't feature cameos from such big names as Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas, Lil Jon and Wu-Tang Clan's RZA. Vampire Weekend will hit the road across North American for a tour in promoting "Contra" starting August 28 in Vancouver, British Columbia. This band will stay on the road at least until late September.
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