Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent
The Gordy Noren Skate Park has reopened in Clintonville, with an official dedication to be held at a later date.
Improvements to the park, which closed in 2013 due to unsafe conditions, were funded by a donation of $13,575 from the Clintonville Lions Club.
“I see kids down there using the skate park every day,” said Justin McAuly, city park and recreation director who helped guide the improvements.
Noren, who passed away in 2013, was a Clintonville Lions Club member and the driving force in developing the skate park in the 1990s. He built the first ramp in his garage with materials donated by the club.
The city then provided a fenced-in area on the paved portion of the old armory parking lot, at 55 E. 12th St. near the Park and Recreation Center, for the skaters.
Polly Noren, Gordy’s daughter, was one of the people who pushed the city for a new skate park after the original park was closed because of outdated equipment, such as ramps and railings.
McAuly found some surplus in good shape in Mauston, and the city purchased it for about $10,000 in 2014. Donations helped fund transportation of the equipment to Clintonville.
The fence around the area has been removed, and the street department plans to remove the blacktop where the fence had been. McAuly said the area will be reseeded, and bushes and trees will be planted in the future.
The Lions Club made the skate park its legacy project, a nationwide effort to help local clubs connect with their communities and create a visible and lasting Lions legacy in honor of the organization’s 100-year anniversary next year.
Lion Allen Mattson told the park and recreation commission Tuesday night that the club plans to erect a large sign for Gordy Noren Memorial Park that will include rules for skate park users.
Mattson said the Lions Club members will do the work but would appreciate help from others.