Skateboarders defy city, clearing mulch off closed course placed there as deterrent

Skateboarders clear mulch from closed skate park

A park in Gainesville is reopening in phases, but a section for skaters still remains closed. To discourage kids from using it, the city dumped mulch on the bowls; however, a group of skating enthusiasts came out and shoveled away the mulch.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Possum Creek Park in Gainesville just reopened this week, but it's opening in phases, as the skate park area is still closed. Apparently, some skating enthusiasts didn't get the memo.

"We've been here this whole time with the park closed. People have not stopped coming," said Michelle Dean, a concerned parent. "There was 15 to 20 people here, mainly teenagers, playing and skateboarding."

So the city decided to dump a ton of mulch in the middle of the skate park, hoping it would send the right message that no skating is allowed, for now.

"They've opened the public pool and the city golf course," said skateboarder Ben Andrews. "I just don't think it makes much sense."

It didn't stop the group. They spent most of the day removing all that mulch so they can skate. "We're trying to save the county some money," explained skateboarder Michael Lee Hubbard II "They gotta come out here and clean it up, and pay their crews to do it."

All of the skateboarders pitched in to clear the bowls, but ultimately, the police came out to remind skaters the park is closed.

"We certainly don't want to arrest folks for being out in the park; however, it is the order. We wanna educate folks about what's going on," said Capt. Paris Owens with the Gainesville Police Department.

Despite all the warnings from the police and the city, the group continued to clean.