From Swamp to Skatepark

The Calais Skatepark Origin Story

Story Told By Randy McCormick “The grand Poobah”

Where to begin?  How about the year 1999, when a student of mine approached me about how we might create a skatepark in our hometown of Calais, Maine.  I was the Industrial Arts teacher at Calais High School at the time.  We explored potential sites around the town, assembled the fledgling CSC,  the Calais Skatepark Committee, and prepared to deliver a presentation to the Calais City Council. 

At the presentation that we delivered in the Calais High School cafeteria in January 2000, where we had invited the Council to hold their meeting, we were given ‘concept approval’ to move ahead with our project.  The many CSC members that were present exited to the gym and were bouncing around and chest-bumping and were over-the-top excited.  As an aside, but an important one, the most outspoken council member who was a champion of local youth and was strongly in favor of our project, was very ill the night of our presentation, but made it his cause to attend.  Sadly, he passed shortly thereafter and now is memorialized at the entry to the skatepark with a bronze plaque mounted on a slab of local granite.

We then commenced to develop our Task Forces to plan to take the ‘swamp’ location that was designated for us and divvied up the work amongst the members.  The CSC recognized that the City Council had effectively given us city property and the accompanying trust that we would make good on their offer. We established our identity with our logo that we silk screen printed ourselves onto T-shirts and hoodies.  This became a real “thing” to be wearing one of our brand shirts.  The backs of the shirts/hoodies read their job descriptions: Construction Engineer; Office Manager; Founding Father, Grand Poobah, etc.  Students created a website, made our own business cards, built a spreadsheet of all local businesses and mailed out mail-merged letters requesting support. A team was formed to create grant applications and our fundraising was well underway.  Another task force went about researching ramp and park designs while beginning to create the designs using our Computer-Aided Design CAD software.

A call from a local State Representative who had been given the authority to inform us from the State House that we had in fact received a $50,000 Federal, matching grant.  Talk about a fun phone call to receive, but far out shadowed by the fun in the call that I got to make to the “Founding Father” to inform him, followed by a grand announcement to the CSC membership.  More planning to work on!

Not a huge moment, but a flurry of happy moments: The grants and donations continue to arrive:  $35,000+ from grants; $35,000+ from local donations of labor and materials from local contractors; $2,000+ from local community organizations; $6,000 from local businesses; $700 from private donations and ~$5,000 from fundraising events.  

We held so many fundraisers: mailed letters to local businesses; raffled off a car; participated as the CSC wearing our brand in other community organization’s events; delivered public presentations filmed by the local station to educate the public while serving pizza; designed and performed a two-night Haunted House in the local WalMart’s garden center = HUGE, WELL RECEIVED production.

Ramps and Skatelite sheets arrive from Virginia and Connecticut!  Perhaps your community rallies for their state championship sports teams as our community does.  Our local tradition involves MANY community members who drive to the end of the long road that empties into the outskirts of our town and honk and cheer the arrival of the team, win or lose by the way. So, that’s exactly what the fans of the Calais Skatepark did.  We met the flatbed truck which was loaded with the 7 quarter pipes and the lift of Skatelite sheets.  We passed by the dumbfounded pedestrians who had no idea about our ‘parade’ all while honking and cheering as we escorted the truck through town and to the skatepark site.  Please be it known that, with no names provided, two community employees drove a tractor trailer to Virginia and back through Connecticut to pick up our quarter pipes and Skatelite.  They took no money for their time, nor their gas costs!  Who does this?  Our community is rich with such generosity.  Upon arrival, there were probably 30 people there to assist in the unloading and set up of the ramps.  While one crew was studying the plans on the laptop and shouting out instructions, another crew was attaching them toget her and integrating them into the ramps that we had designed and built, while another was prepping and serving food and drinks for the workers.  What an inspiring community event!

The Grand Opening!!!  August 2002.  During the annual International Festival, the CSC hosted its Grand Opening that included: its participation in the parade with a flatbed truck float; presentations of student made framed certificates of gratitude from the CSC to the City Council and our Gold Level Donors ; a speech from the Calais Mayor; followed by skating demonstrations, competitions, music and food.  The CSC at the time was supported by so many students, their parents and other volunteers.  This event was packed with skaters, CSC members and a large crowd of spectators.