After city hall branded him a bad boy and banned him from their only skateboard park for holding an unsanctioned memorial for his father, Trevor Nedea says he’s ready to work with city officials to improve what the city does for skaters.
The city’s manager of policy development Kathy Moldenhauer said she lifted a ban she imposed on Nedea July 12 after they met Tuesday and he showed a willingness to work with officials and assured them he won’t hold any more events on city property without getting the proper permits.
“Events from now on are going to be done properly,” Nedea said after the city reversed its position.
For Nedea, the turnaround is like what skaters call the frontside180 — a trick where they spin so they’re facing the opposite direction.
Nedea, a 23-year-old businessman who owns the Antigravity skateboard shop, wanted to hold a memorial event July 4 in honour of his father Anthony, who died of cancer last year at the age of 52. Anthony helped Nedea start the McLeod Rd. business seven years ago.
Nedea said he figures 300 people came between noon and 6 p.m. For skaters and bikers, it was a day to hang out in the sun, listen to music and do what they like to do. Nedea brought in two local bands to perform.
“Obviously, the thing was to bring people together … I want to hold this next year,” he said.
“It was pretty much in memory of my dad. He helped start the store when I was 17. I figured what better way than to have everybody come to the park?”
Eight days after the event, Moldenhauer, the city’s manager of policy development wrote to Nedea, advising him he was being banned from the park for one year for violating the city’s “Rzone,” a policy dealing with violence, harassment and vandalism at recreational facilities.
Moldenhauer agreed the man the city banned is considered a “positive role model” among skateboarders. But rules are rules.
Nedea didn’t have a city permit or insurance for the event, Moldenhauer said. There are pictures indicating some people at the event drank beer. They also show someone using a magic marker to write on the concrete. And it created garbage that later had to be cleaned up by city workers.
Nedea denied alcohol was a widespread problem, though he noticed a few people cracking open beer in the parking lot. The garbage might have taken “25 minutes of cleaning” and he promised to pay the $71.19 bill the city sent him. On Facebook, there’s one picture of a man using a magic marker to write his name on the concrete, something Nedea said is a relatively minor infraction considering the amount of graffiti done by people before his event. Spraypainting the concrete at a skateboard park is part of the sport’s culture.
“We tried to keep everything as respectable as possible,” Nedea said.
Nedea said he tried to get the city’s approval beforehand, by asking in a May 31 email what he had to do. After a few back-and- forth messages, the emails stopped.
“I’m not not going to put on something for my father because this one person didn’t get back to me,” Nedea said.
“Obviously, I’m partially wrong for not having a permit. Obviously, I tried. I want to be professional about everything I do.”
Moldenhauer said “unfortunately the communication stopped” before the city and Nedea worked out the details for the event.
“This is where we ran into problems. We want to ensure all our event organizers follow the appropriate policies and procedures,” Moldenhauer said.
Paperwork might seem excessive, but the rules need to be followed so the city can make sure it has the resources ready to handle an event on its property.
As a result of the incident with Nedea, he has offered to spearhead a skateboarders group to give feedback to officials about what users seek. It will give the city a chance to get the message to skaters about its expectations about conduct at the park, graffiti and holding events.
“Now, we’re both on the same page and able to move forward,” Moldenhauer said. “Through this incident with Trevor, one of the recommendations we’re excited about is we’re going to form a skateboard park group.”
“We’re excited about it. It’s sort of an open link to the skateboard community,” Moldenhauer said.
Skaters, bikers and friends of Nedea created Facebook pages to register their opposition to the way the city treated him.
Moldenhauer said she received about 45 emails, making the case to allow Nedea back to the park. City officials treated them as “background” in considering his case, but the deciding factor was how Nedea presented himself during Tuesday’s meeting, Moldenhauer said.
Nedea said he hoped the memorial skateboard event for his father will become an annual event in Niagara Falls. It’s the kind of thing that would benefit this city’s residents.
“I want to work with the city. I don’t want the city to look bad,” he said.
clarocque@nfreview.com
Article can be viewed HERE http://niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2689973
