A Shannon Ridge Winery truck arrives in Clearlake Dec. 26 with a load of Skatelite Pro flooring for Clearlake's skate park. Joey Luiz of Shannon Ridge (far left, front row) drove to Southern California to pick up the materials to help save the skate park effort money. Next to him is Ronda Mottlow, a co-chair of the skate park's committee. Mayor Curt Giambruno, center of the front row, also has been involved in the effort. Photo by Denise Claiche.

CLEARLAKE – Thanks to help from the community and local businesses, the City of Clearlake's skate park is on its way to being repaired and reopened. {sidebar id=49}

The park was closed earlier this fall after city officials determined its condition was hazardous, as Lake County News has reported. In November, the Clearlake City Council – citing budgetary issues – asked for community help in renovating the park.

The result was the formation of the Community BMX/Skatepark Committee, which has as its members teens who use the park as well as adults who want to support keeping the park open.

BMX parents Ronda Mottlow and Michele Bush serve as the adult co-chairs, said Mottlow. There also are teen co-chairs for the group – Jerae Simms, representing the skateboarders, and RJ Hudson, on behalf of the BMXers, said Bush.

Mottlow was a City of Clearlake engineering technician in the late 1990s when the park was built, and began her involvement with it then.

Since the city asked for help for the park, local businesses also have stepped forward, said Mottlow – including Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery of Clearlake Oaks and Comprehensive Support Systems of Clearlake.

At the council's Nov. 8 meeting, Jack Barker offered the city $1,000 from Comprehensive Support Systems to go toward the park's repairs.

Then Shannon Ridge Winery stepped up. "We were challenged by the Clearlake City Council to find the resources to get this park repaired and so far it has been a great effort by many," said committee member Joey Luiz, who also works as Shannon Ridge's tasting room manager.

Luiz explained to his employer, Clay Shannon, the need for new flooring for the skate park.

The freight cost to transport the flooring from Southern California to Lake County was going to be about $1,500 – about one-third the budget for the skate park's improvements, Luiz reported.

Shannon said the decision to get involved was easy. “I was all for Joey taking one of our trucks and going down to Southern California to pick the flooring up and get it delivered to the Public Works Department right after Christmas."

Shannon donated the truck and Luiz donated his time to pick up the flooring materials.

At about 10:15 a.m. Dec. 26, Luiz – driving a Shannon Ridge flatbed truck – rolled in to Clearlake, where a group of more than 20 people had gathered – including skateboarders and BMX riders of all ages, parents and community members – in anticipation for the delivery, according to Luiz.

Luiz said the truck's payload was 24 sheets – equaling a 1,300-pound payload – of Skatelite Pro, which is produced by the Richlite Co. Mottlow said the surfacing is suited for bikes, skateboards and inline skates.

The weatherproof material is billed by the company as “the supreme riding surface for outdoor skateparks,” and is the same surface originally used at the park, said Luiz. “It's some pretty heavy duty stuff.”

Mayor Curt Giambruno, who has been very involved with the project since the committee was formed, said he hoped other area businesses will follow the example set by Comprehensive Support Systems and Shannon Ridge.

After the city took the materials into possession Luiz said the group then moved to City Hall where group members presented to city Finance Director Mike Vivrette the $1,000 check from Comprehensive Support Systems.

Mottlow said the city's Public Works Department has given her an estimate that the skate park would be completed and the park reopened around Jan. 15.

“I was hoping it would be quicker than that,” she said, adding that the city crew already appears to be replacing the new flooring material on the wood- and steel-framed skate park.

Bush said the effort is going really well. “For awhile there, we were discouraged,” she said, explaining that they were uncertain that repairs would go forward.

She said work on the skate park has been hampered by the weather, although the city crew was able to get in a few days of work in between the recent rains and snow.

A lot of work still remains for the hardworking committee members.

Mottlow said they're preparing to meet with area service clubs that have said they're ready to donate funds to the skate park. Other businesses also have indicated they're willing to donate materials.

“We're asking any local businesses or clubs that want to help out the kids to donate to the City of Clearlake,” said Mottlow, and to make sure to designate their donation for the skate park repairs.

The focus now, said Mottlow, is to get the park reopened; however, the group also wants to work on building bigger, better facilities for BMXers and skateboarders.

Mottlow, who also is a grant writer, is looking for grants from the Tony Hawk Foundation, which makes donations to support the building of skate parks. The City of Willits received one of those grants, according to the foundation's Web site.

Seeking those funds “might be our next project,” said Mottlow.

Bush said having the park reopened is critical, because the teens have nowhere to go to ride their bikes and boards.

She said they plan to have a grand reopening and possibly an exhibition show for the park, in order to introduce the community to the riding skills of the young people who frequent the facility.

The effort to renovate the park, Bush said, looks promising. “It's a lot farther than we've ever gotten before.”

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ronda Mottlow delivers to city Finance Director Mike Vivrette a check for $1,000 from Comprehensive Support Systems of Clearlake, another business that offered the skate park its support. Photo by Rick Gunier.

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