GATESVILLE – A decade-long dream has been realized.

A brand new skate park has opened at the Gates County Community Center, fulfilling a 10-year quest by Recreation Director Lulu Eure to have a park at the facility.

“We’ve worked on it for about 10 years, including writing several grants that just didn’t come through,” Eure said. “When Golden Leaf came to Gates County, we finally included it in a grant that was funded.”

Eure said the park has already been used by 30-plus skateboarders even though it isn’t officially open.

“We’ve had people come in from throughout the area and a lot of folks from Gates County,” she said.

Eure said those who use the park had a hand in designing the “Street Skateboarding” venue.

“We had a company come in and set up a temporary park and move the pieces around,” Eure said. “They sent the designs and I talked to the kids and let them help design it.”

The park was put together by Eure, Jenny Liles and Robert Dilday, the staff at the center.

“All of us feel an allegiance to it,” she said. “I’m excited. Our budget was tight, but we were able to put it together.”

A key to using the park, however, is to obey the rules which are posted on the fence.

Those rules include:

Skating is a hazardous activity – skate at your own risk; The County of Gates is not liable for injuries;

To skate on this facility, you must have gone through the safety course required and have the card issued to you after completion;

All participants must complete and sign waiver in order to ride;

Only skateboards, roller skates, roller blades and BMX bikes are allowed. All other uses are prohibited;

Everyone must respect other users of the facility;

Helmets, elbow pads and knee pads that are commercially manufactured and in good condition must be worn; helmets and pads must be fastened;

No alcohol, drugs or tobacco are allowed;

The skate park will be closed during inclement weather; and

Park management reserves the right to refuse entry to or eject anyone at any time from the park at its own discretion.