Roseburg Stewart Park

Lee moved to Roseburg 30 years ago and opened Put On Athletics, a full line athletics store, 8 years later. He soon contacted every city in the state of Oregon, inquiring about skateparks and how to go about getting one. Many years later, in the fall of 1997, he rounded up $3000 worth of skateboard industry donations and wooed 150 kids and 150 parents to a meeting about a skatepark in Roseburg.

There was a surge of interest and the Umpqua Skaters Association was born. But the City of Roseburg did not want a skatepark or even to encourage one. They didn't give money or land to the Umpqua Skaters Association. U.S.A. searched for alternate sources of finances and applied for several grants. They received four. One from the Ford Family Foundation (a $50,000 matching grant), two from Douglas County and the Cal (spelling?) Creek First Nation, each $17,500 to help match the Ford grant, and one from the Chaney Foundation in Washington for $25,000 which has yet to be spent on the beginners section and possible bmx additions.

Gene Dixon was President of the Umpqua Skaters Association for a couple years and really drove the project home, staying in contact with the county and the contractor, Longbreak, from Sutherlin, who actually built the skatepark. The County donated equipment use and people donated their time and together dug about $35,000 worth of excavation for the skatepark's foundation. Eric Dawkins of Southern Oregon fame, consulted with local skaters in designing the park.

When the park was mostly complete in March of 2000, the Umpqua Skaters Association wanted to donate it to the city. I haven't gotten the city's story yet, but it sounds like the city didn't want to accept it and at some point tried to charge the U.S.A. $2500 for a building permit. Ugh! The park is open for use, but it is hopefully not complete. USA wants to add a beginners section and possibly a bmx dirt track. The land is a 1/2 acre on lease from the VA hospital -large red building in the backround of some photos.

The city has approved finishing the park with the beginners section and there might room for the bmx track.

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