LAS CRUCES NEEDS A SKATE PARK

One city in the land of enchantment needs a skate park.  The land of enchantment is better known as the state of New Mexico.  Las Cruces, NM is the second largest city in the state of New Mexico.  93,570 residents currently reside in the second largest city in Southern New Mexico.  Las Cruces is more or less a college town in which New Mexico State University is the largest employer in the city, employing over 6,500 people (http://www.las-cruces.org/).  Unfortunately the recession has taken its toll on Las Cruces and the surrounding communities.  There are limited resources in this small border city, and the local economy seems to be at a stand still. 
I lived in Las Cruces for a total of five years while I was in college and there are many things that I will never forget about living in Las Cruces.  One thing I will not ever forget about the desert city are the summer temperatures which regularly hover over 100 degrees and winters that rarely fall below 40 degrees.  Winter snowfall and rain is minimal at best, which makes this city the perfect place for year-round outdoor activities.  Las Cruces currently has one skate park but its not centrally located, so many who would want to use it, have no access to the skate park.
Las Cruces has done a great job overall of providing recreational structures and events for the sports enthusiast.  During the previous ten years the city has constructed football fields, baseball diamonds and one skate park to name a few. However the city needs another skate park.  Las Cruces does not have the greatest public transportation system partially due to its size.  Buses run infrequently, so if you do not have a car, then it will be a challenge for you to make it to the skate park if you do not live in the area.  Many of the people who will frequent the skate park are not of legal driving age which creates a problem. 

Given the current state of the US Economy, let alone the Las Cruces Economy, I feel the city should explore applying for the Tony Hawk Foundation Skateboard Grant, in pursuit of securing additional funding to build another skate park.  I believe city should have Isaac E. Chavez - Board Chair, Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, put together the grant proposal.  I believe Mr. Chavez should be able to handle such a task because he is the chairman of the advisory board which makes recommendations to city council in regards to parks and recreation.

I feel the grant will be necessary to get a skate park built in the city because, the city is struggling financially.  According to the City of Las Cruces website, 19.2 % of people live in poverty.  On top of that the average household income is $37,471 when the rest of the state is at $43,028 (http://www.las-cruces.org/).  I would recommend that the skate park be built on Espina and E. Idaho.  This area is situated near several elementary, middle schools, and a high school.  There are also many single family homes in this area, which have children who would benefit from having a nearby skate park.

References 
City of Las Cruces.  Retrieved October 16, 2011 from,  http://www.las-cruces.org/