When I was a kid, all I really wanted to do was ride a skateboard. I owned one, and bought occasional issues of Thrasher magazine, and knew all the hip skater lingo. There was only one little problem.... complete lack of talent. I was terrible at it. I fell more than I rode, for sure. But it didn't stop me from trying.

The other problem was that back then, there were no adequate places to ride. Sure, you could whiz around downtown Bangor back in the 80's without as much trouble as it can cause now, but only kids with rich, handy parents had ramps. And unlike the movies, there weren't a bunch of random empty pools we could skate in.

As time went on and the years went by, I pretty much gave up on skating. I got more involved with music, and it took up all my time. Plus, drumming and broken bones don't mix well. But I never stopped loving the sport. I love to watch skate videos, etc. And I have to say, I was thrilled when towns in Maine started finally building parks.

Bangor has had a couple over the years, and every now and then the city has actually sought to improve these spots. Be it through repairs or even expansion, Bangor has tried to keep a safe place for kids to skate. Now they're doing it again, as the city is on the verge of approving a new park to be built over near Mansfield Stadium.

According to WABI - TV5, the Bangor Planning Board approved a Land Development Permit application for the new area. It's unclear exactly what hurdles are left to jump through, or when construction might begin, but it does seem Bangor is committed still, to giving folks a safe place to ride, which is awesome. It will ultimately replace the current park on Union Street.

Sure, my skate career never remotely happened. I was never destined to be the next Tony Hawk, but I used to have fun. Now like a lot of middle-aged folks, the idea of getting on one terrifies me. That's ok, because also like most middle-aged adults, the only thing scarier than a broken bone.... is paying for one.

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