THE LONG AWAITED & MUCH ANTICIPATED....

VENICE BEACH SKATE PLAZA OPENING

Venice Beach - Venice Beach is known as a vibrant and eclectic Southern California beach that attracts millions of tourists yearly. But skaters know this special place as DOGTOWN, the birthplace of progressive skateboarding in the 1970's.

Saturday, October 3, 2009 was a historical day for Venice Beach skaters who have waited a long time for a place to call their own. At 11 am hundreds of skaters and spectators joined the Department of Recreation and Parks and Councilmember Bill Rosendahl in opening the VENICE BEACH SKATE PLAZA!!

Design input from local skating professionals helped make the Venice Beach Skate Plaza one of the most challenging arenas for skaters to ride. The 16,000-square-foot facility has four major components; a deep pool, street terrain course, snake run and flow bowl. The $3.4 million plaza's unique design combines both street and vert skating, allowing skateboarders to flow in and out of the two different styles.

With a maximum vertical differential of up to 9 feet, the deep pool allows for lots of speed in a single entry/exit run. The street terrain course simulates a streetscape environment with steps, rails, planters, curbs and driveways. For an old school skateboarding experience, skaters can carve from bank to bank through the snake run. The flow bowl provides maximum momentum for continuous multiple entries/exits in a single run.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, Commission President Barry Sanders, City Engineer Gary Lee Moore and professional skateboarders Jesse Martinez, Jay Adams and Tony Alva were all on hand to help cut the red ribbon and officially open the Venice Beach Skate Plaza.

The new skate plaza is the 12th skate facility run by the Department of Recreation and Parks. Located near Windward Avenue and Ocean Front Walk, the skate plaza has an amazing view of the ocean and will provide a much-needed haven for local and visiting skateboarders.

Venice Beach has always been a hot spot for skaters from around the corner and world to test their skills. The new skate plaza will help continue that tradition!

For more information on this location, please call (213) 202-2700 or visit our website at http://www.laparks.org/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Jane Kolb: (213) 202-2694

Amy A. Garcia: (213) 202-2689

A "GREEN" IMPROVEMENT

The Dedication of Solar Lights at North Hollywoood RC

North Hollywood - The Department of Recreation and Parks proudly dedicated the first-ever solar powered lights at North Hollywood Recreation Center on Tuesday, September 29, 2009. General Manager Jon Kirk Mukri, Councilmember Tom LaBonge (4th District), actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. and local residents were all on hand to help "flip the switch" on the new green improvement.

The project at North Hollywood included the installation of thirty-two solar light poles to illuminate the jogging paths. The total cost of $263,324 was funded by Quimby. The Department's Valley Region electrical crew installed the lights, cutting the cost of the project by about half.

The new solar-powered lights at North Hollywood RC store energy from the sun during the day and use this stored energy as a power source at night. By using solar power in the 32 lights the Department will save enough energy to light up nine average Southern California households per year. The energy saved is equivalent to planting 420 trees. The Department already has plans to install solar lighting at two other parks in the immediate future with three more locations on the drawing board.

North Hollywood RC is located at 11455 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood 91601. For more information on this project or the Department, please call (213) 202-2700.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jane Kolb: (213) 202-2694