A decade in the making: Groundbreaking ceremony held for Colfax Skatepark

After a decade of community vision and dedication, a groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday morning for the Colfax Skatepark. Project supporters and the community met at the future skate park site, the old pool next to the baseball field across from the Colfax Lions Kids Park. Around the lot were mounds of dirt, which were delivered during the June 3 dirt parade, in preparation of what's to come. Ty Conners, project lead for the skate park, said he spearheaded the project after receiving complaints about kids skateboarding in his capacity as the Colfax station commander for the Placer County Sheriff's Office. "Who knew that 10 years later, we'd be up here talking about it finally coming to fruition," Conners said. Project supporters in attendance included Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, Colfax Mayor Caroline McCully, Colfax Councilmember Sean Lomen and PCWA Board Director Josh Alpine. "Today, we're celebrating much more than the start of construction on a skate park," Lomen said. "We're celebrating a dream that has been years in the making. A vision that has brought together neighbors, businesses, volunteers, donors and community leaders who all believed in creating something special for the youth in Colfax and their families. It's exciting to finally stand here and see the project become a reality." Lomen thanked Conners for his dedication and leadership to the project as well as every supporter and contributor of the project, noting that soon the site will be "filled with the sounds of wheels rolling, kids laughing, friendships forming and memories being made." "Today is proof that when a community works together, great things can happen," he said. "Congratulations to everyone who helped make this day possible. Thank you for believing in this project. Thank you for investing in our future and thank you for helping make Colfax an even better place to call home. Let's break some ground." Gustafson added, "They matter that we come together and show the kids that things are possible, and especially in our small communities where one or two or 10 - or maybe in this case like 50 people came together to make this a reality. We can make things happen in our communities for them and show them the way that working together, working collaboratively, sharing great experiences here at the park is going to make them better people, better citizens and take care of us in our older age. That's what we need." Following the speeches, project supporters grabbed a ceremonial shovel decorated with a Green Machine decal and a Colfax Skatepark sticker that says, "I did the first dig." The shovels, which were donated by The Home Depot, were given to supporters as a keepsake for their contribution. Conners closed the ceremony and shared the skate park's grand opening is anticipated for mid- to late-August. Conners said the community can look forward to an all-day event that will include food and merchandise vendors, pro-skater demonstrations, music and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Opening day is gonna be amazing," he said. The next phase of construction includes Triton Construction beginning the compaction and preparation of the dirt. According to the Colfax California Facebook page, New Line Skateparks are scheduled to arrive on June 15 and will be staying at the Best Western Colfax during construction. Additionally, the skatepark received news Monday that Woodward Tahoe would be donating an additional $15,000, which will be used to close funding gaps.