By SANDY McGEE

BELLINGHAM — A former skate park once plagued by vandalism and debris will reopen for one day of carving, grinding and ollies.

A Skate Jam will be held this Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the  site of the old Bellingham Skate Park, located at 342 Hartford Ave., behind the Stallbrook Elementary School.
The event is sponsored by the town of Bellingham, the First Baptist Church of Bellingham and the AFC Skateboard Team of New Bedford, Mass.
Sponsors are hoping this event will create renewed interest in opening a permanent skate park for town youth.
“The goal (of the event) is to bring skateboarders together with the town to work on creating a future skate park,” said Pastor Baron K. Rodrigues of the First Baptist Church. “There is nothing in this town for kids to do. Once the kid is in junior high or high school, unless they are in sports, there are no activities for them.”
The AFC skate team is working with the town in order to “give the youth a positive and safe activity to attend during the summer vacation period,” said Nicole Tavares of Dartmouth, Mass., a member of the AFC team.
Skating apparatus, including a mini ramp with manual pad, kicker rails and a 10-feet-tall crescent grinding box, are being specially shipped to the former skate park for this event.
The Skate Jam will also feature games, awards for best skating tricks, contests, prizes, a free lunch and refreshments.
Former Selectman Richard Martinelli took on the skate park project in 2003 with the goal of keeping skateboarders in a safe location and off the streets.
Only a year later, the Bellingham Skate Park opened behind the Stallbrook Elementary School.
By 2007, town officials were concerned about the condition of the skating ramps.
“There was (skating) apparatus there and it just fell into disrepair,” said Town Administrator Denis Fraine.
“The one (skate park) they had there was debilitated,” Rodrigues said. “It was a first generation skate park.”
According to Fraine, new skating ramps and other equipment are required in order to reopen the park. However, there are currently no funds available to purchase new equipment.
However, it wasn’t just the ramps that became deteriorated that led to the park’s closing.
In 2007, School Committee members met with the Board of Selectmen to discuss issues of vandalism, loitering and littering at the skate park.
Members of the school department, then under the direction of former Superintendent Chris Mattocks, also expressed concerns about potentially dangerous items left around the skate park area for children to find. School employees found discarded cigarette butts, broken glass bottles, beer cans and even an old TV.
“It’s not the skateboard park that is a problem, it’s the people that use it,” said Stallbrook Elementary School Principal Helen Chamides. “I’m not opposed to a skateboard park. I think it’s great that kids have a skateboard park to play in.
“At the same time, this is an area that children play in. I don’t think that parents want to come in the morning, when they drop off their children for preschool, and find all of this litter. I’m not opposed to a skateboard park, I”m opposed to how the area will be mistreated.”
Safety in the skate park was also an issue of concern. An armed robbery occurred at the skate park in 2007, in which a 17-year -old reportedly held up another teen at knife point.
As part of the 2007-2008 School Improvement Plan for Stallbrook Elementary School, the school department requested that the skate park’s issues be resolved.
Today, a paved area about the “size of a tennis court” still stands behind the elementary school. All of the skating apparatus, such as ramps, have been removed.
In the event of rain, the Skate Jam will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the former skate park.
For more information about the Skate Jam, call (508) 844-1843.