CITY COUNCIL SHOULD LET KIDS BE KIDS

I understand the Salisbury City Council is currently considering changes to
the policy regarding skateboarding and rollerblading. I would urge the City
Council to become more kid-friendly by revoking or reworking the city law
that outlaws skateboarding and roller skating in the city limits.

Do we want kids to have fun and keep out of trouble?

Keeping kids busy and having fun wlli do more to keep them out of trouble
than any curfew or anti-crime program.

Now, let us think about using the resources we already have at our disposal
before we spend a lot of money

Downtown Salisbury has a good number of parking lots where the motor
vehicle traffic is very light after working hours and on weekends. We
should encourage - maybe even sponsor - the use of one or more parking lots
and a side street by skateboarders and street hockey players during the off
hours.

I would also encourage the police to be involved with our young citizens by
acting as referees at some of the street hockey games.

We should be encouraging kids to be just kids. Having fun, and a good time
is what kids are supposed to do, when they are not in school or doing
homework. Generating good memories is part of what we should be doing.
Keeping kids busy and having fun will do more to keep them off drugs and
out of trouble than any frying-egg commercial.

Robert R. Ryan, Salisbury