MIAMI TOWNSHIP — Danny Jones dropped his skateboard along the playground walkway at Miami Meadows Park and jumped from curb to pavement.

        “We've been skating over there the past three days,” said Danny, who is 15 and lives in Goshen.

        Kids like Danny have been eagerly waiting for the opening of Clermont County's first public skateboard park. Today, the township will officially open the Miami Township Skate Park during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. The 10,000-square-foot park is in Miami Meadows Park off Ohio 131.

        Kids who live in the township began lobbying trustees in April 2000 for a skate park, complaining they had no place to skateboard.

        Skate parks are becoming popular in the area. Middletown has one, and at least seven other communities are either discussing or planning skate parks, including Union Township, Hamilton, Fairfield, West Chester Township, Loveland, Anderson Township and Florence.

        “It's just another recreational outlet for these kids,” said Dave Duckworth, township administrator. “Some of them don't play soccer, they don't play baseball, they don't play tennis. This is how they recreate. This is just another way to provide something for the kids.”

        The cost of the skate park is about $100,000. The township was awarded a $30,000 NatureWorks grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to help fund the park, and another $30,000 was provided with in-kind donations from contractors. The township is covering the rest.

        The skate park will be free and open to the public. It will be open from dawn until dusk, seven days a week. Protective equipment is encouraged.

        “We expect heavy use,” said Mr. Duckworth.

        Danny Jones agrees. It'll get used. He also approved of the design and size.

        “It's good, it's very good,” he said. “The ramps are good, there are good boxes to grind on. It's a decent size, and it's close.”

        He looked into the distance at the yellow tape.

        “I wish I could go in there right now.”

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