Clinton County SkatePark Assn- Pepsi Refresh Project

SHAMROCK SLAMDOWN! SAT. MARCH 13! 5-9PM!

Get your team and costumes ready for some Dodgeball action! 3 on 3 basketball, music, food & prizes too!

Pre-register at the following locations:

• Jen's Deli
• Clinton County Youth Council
• here on the CCSA website

We are less than 2 weeks away! See you at the slamdown.

Save this date: Saturday, March 13. SHAMROCK SLAMDOWN

Get pumped for the 2010 Shamrock Slamdown costume dodgeball tournament and 3 on 3 basketball tournament! The event is going down Saturday, March 13 at the Clinton County YMCA. Clinton County Youth Council and the YMCA are partnering with us here at the CCSA to put on a great evening of dodgeball, basketball, music, food, games and prizes. All proceeds will benefit the CCSA, CCYC, and the YMCA.

More event details will be posted on the site as they come available. But save that date now! Saturday, March 13.

Jen from Jen's Deli is going to Jury Trial over skateboarder's arrest

Jury trial is set for Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 am. It is open to the public. I am facing a maximium fine of $1,000.00 and am facing 3 months in jail for Disorderly Conduct and Obstruction of Justice. I saw the police video and ironically, I didn't cuss once on the video. You just hear me say,"So, let me get this right, you want me to stop encouraging kids?....I'll never stop encouraging kids!" This should be interesting!

Teen arrested for skateboarding gets "Student of the Month" at WHS

Life is funny, is it not? Tyler Wright was arrested, hand cuffed, and hulled into the police station for skateboarding in downtown Wilmington, Ohio in August 2009. Tyler most recently made the paper again, this time for "Student of the Month" at Wilmington High School January 14, 2010. This award is based on leadership and academic achievements. I have personally known Tyler for the last 3-4 years and all I can say about him is this. Out of all the skaters in Wilmington Ohio, Tyler has been to nearly all of the CCSA meetings, he has attended all the CCSA fundraisers, and he has helped out any way he can. He spent all last summer volunteering every day at the local skateshop, until his arrest. He is always there when you need a helping hand. This kid is NOT a juvenile delinquent, he's just a kid that needs continued positive influences in his life......like all kids his age. I also want to give kudos to Reality Skates. They are NOT a non-profit organization, but they are there for the kids in that way. Butch is always there to help and talk with the kids. This summer Reality Skates will be transporting up to 14 kids at a time to different skate parks to skate. This summer series will end with a final destination to Skatopia in Rutland, Ohio. Skateboarding is NOT a crime, it's a sport that takes great athleticism and ability. What Butch is doing for these kids this summer will impact them in a positive way, and leave lasting memories for a lifetime. These kids just want to have a "court for their sport" please help by getting involved with the Clinton County Skatepark Association. Let's all work together to make this dream of a concrete skatepark a reality. We can't do it alone. We need the community to pull together to make it happen. The next meeting for the Clinton County Skatepark Association will be Tuesday, January 19th at 6:00pm in the Coffeebar of Jen's Deli 28 West Main Street Wilmington Ohio 45177 937-383-3354. We have weekly meetings at the same location, at the same time each week. We would love to have your support.

Boo snow! Yay Reality Skates!

Howdy y'all its Eric G. here and I must admit they I am nay a fan of this wicked winter weather. Cold, wet, and depressing if you ask me. The slush and snow also acts as a skateboarding deterrent. Total buzzkill. Alas, my fear is gone, as Reality Skates has arrived to save me from my winter funk. They have a miniramp (a miniature halfpipe) right inside the shop that is shielded from Mother Nature's harsh winter wrath. I'm there a few times a week alongside a group of very talented younger skateboarders from around the county. These dudes can rip it and are at Butch's shop every day of the week without fail. A faithful bunch of gnarly skaters they are indeed. Look forward to some video of them on the site soon. Reality Skates is now on Sugartree St. in a new, more accommodating location. They are Clinton County's first and only skateshop, are locally owned, and offer a full line of skateboards, including parts, accessories and gear. Come check it out!

Jen's history with skateboarding

My name is Jennifer Stewart and I am the president of the Clinton County Skatepark Association. I fell in love with the sport of skateboarding back in 1987. I was in the seventh grade and was the only girl skateboarder in the tri-state area. I had to join the boy scouts to be on the insurance to be able to skate the ramps at the one and only skateshop for miles around, "Ohio Surf and Skate" aka "Surf Ohio". Skateboarding gave me the opportunity to meet many skaters throughout the years. I met Tony Hawk at the Ohio State Fair, he signed my Surf Ohio t-shirt. Rob Dyrdek, Bill Danforth, Mike Hill, and several others from the G&S Team would come to my house to skate on my halfpipe. I was very fortunate growing up. I had a very creative dad and a very tolerant mother. They both knew the importance of teaching us how to have fun without the use of drugs and alcohol. My backyard consisted of a 6' half pipe that quickly grew into a 6' spine with a 3' hump. There were also 4' and 7' extensions. My treehouse slept 2 comfortably, had a "Tarzan Rope", a swinging bridge, and a zip line. The treehouse occupied 3 separate trees and the zip line stopped at the skateboard ramp. We also had a trampoline that connected to the deck around our swimming pool. We would always have kids at the house. My backyard WAS the skatepark of southern Ohio. We would have youth groups come to our house. There were always people at our house even when we weren't home. Then in the 90's skateboarding took a dive. No one was skateboarding. I started college in 1992, and when I came home my dad had torn down my ramp. I was devastated. Then in 1993, my sister was diagnosis with non-hodgkins Lymphoma at age 23. Then in 1996, My childhood home burnt to the ground. In 2001, I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer at the age of 27. In 2006, I was sitting in my garage with a few of my friends on a beautiful sunny summer day and it came to me to start the Clinton County Skatepark Association and give my community something that was so beneficial, so awesome, so incredible for me as a youth. I am so passionate about this cause. You are only young once. Life is so unpredictable, it can be SO good, but it can also be SO bad. Skateboarding is incredible exercise, and it takes incredible skill to be able to do it.