OFF THE BEAT: Earnest attempt needed to ramp up youth activities in New Iberia

Published 6:00 am Thursday, October 19, 2017

When I read in Tuesday’s Daily Iberian that St. Martinville is in the process of constructing its very own skate park my first thought went to New Iberia’s own skate park, a subject that hasn’t been brought up in quite a while.

Bayou Wheels Skate Park had been up and running since 2004, but more than two years ago it was deemed a liability by the city and closed indefinitely.

Some of the problems that were cited included equipment that hadn’t been maintained for years, and the lack of a supervisor. There was a faithful volunteer who had operated a concession stand at Bayou Wheels for years, but he quit in 2015 after the city forced him to get a permit for the stand.

We’ve all seen the results since its closure. Kids in New Iberia have simply picked other places to skate. If you’ve ever been to Bouligny Plaza during the daytime you know what I mean. About a month ago I felt particularly curmudgeonly when I had to shoo some skaters from The Daily Iberian’s parking lot where carriers pick up their daily papers. In the lack of a proper facility kids are now going wherever they can.

City government hasn’t brought up the issue much since its closure. Calvin Begnaud, who no longer serves on the council, tried to rally local donations in providing the needed repairs but it never came through.

Money is tight in New Iberia, but when the city’s budget was approved Tuesday night there were some last minute budget adjustments for building repairs to some Parks and Recreation buildings. No doubt those were sorely needed, but maybe we shouldn’t discount the value of providing a space for kids to enjoy themselves. Kudos to St. Martinville for realizing that. 

At this point, it has almost become a cliche from local politicians that kids don’t have much to do in New Iberia, which forces them to go to cities like Lafayette for fun. If there was an earnest attempt at ramping up youth activities in town, Bayou Wheels would be the first place to start.

It just seems a little silly that skateboarders in New Iberia will have to drive to St. Martinville if they want a place to skate when there is a perfectly good facility in town that just needs some work.

Corey Vaughn is the senior staff writer for The Daily Iberian.