What else might they be doing

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By Barb Ickes | Monday, July 28, 2008 5:25 PM CDT | () comments

It’s one of the happiest little scenes you could encounter in Davenport.

More concrete is rising from the ground as part of the $2.8 million Centennial Park expansion, so I stopped by Monday. A 40-something woman in crop pants and sunglasses can cause quite a stir. But it was a good stir.

The curious were drawn to my picnic table like ants to chewing gum. Two boys on scooters were the first to approach.

Creighton Devlin, a tow-headed 11-year-old, was full of information.

“Over here,” he began, pointing to the north side of the skatepark, “is going to be more slopes. I saw the designs.”

And across the way, I asked, is the bathroom?

“Right,” Creighton confirmed. “And concessions.”

Creighton and his cousin, Zach Johannsen, 10, were thrilled to be spending a day at the park and explained how they don’t get to use it as often as they’d like. Their parents have to work during the day (an enormous inconvenience), and the kids depend on rides.

Creighton, who wears narrow glasses and speaks with great confidence, told me that he often keeps an eye on the skatepark and its progress. He pines for the day he can stay until dark and see the lights go on.

“I drive by here a lot,” he said. “At night, there’s a bunch more people here. It looks sweet.”

Then we learned that it’s not perfect.

“There’s a lot of fighting at night,” said Jake Maxwell, 13, of Davenport. “When I was here, two people had a complication with each other and tried to start a fight.

“One of the kids told them about the surveillance cameras and said they didn’t want the cops here, and they still almost fought. I just left.”

I asked about the recently poured concrete steps, leading to a flat area atop the skatepark.

“That’s for concerts and competitions,” Jake said.

The infinitely informed Creighton added, “You know, like, tournaments.”

Just then, Austin Burrows rode over to the picnic table. He’s 14 and from Princeton, where the city recently added a small skatepark.

“It’s not heaven on concrete like it is here,” he said.

Then came Tanner Lewis, another 14-year-old, who wore a sweatband around his red hair.

“This park’s, like, really sweet,” he said, suddenly distracted by a question from Zach.

Sitting cross-legged on his standup scooter at the top of a slope, Zach turned to Tanner and asked, “Is this a smart idea?”

Tanner studied him for a few seconds and asked, “How old are you?”

Said Zach, “I’m 10.”

“That’s cool,” answered Tanner. “If you’ve done it before, go ahead.”

We all watched as Zach swooped down the incline, coming to a safe stop across the park (allowing my breathing to resume).

A cooling breeze swept across us from the Mississippi River, and I reluctantly turned toward the parking lot, glancing back at a dozen grinning boys. They glided happily around on a variety of wheels, occasionally giving a skateboard a gentle shove back to its fallen rider.

One boy waved goodbye, and I thought to myself: These children truly appreciate the park. Some may even feel a little spoiled for the first time in their lives.

Sweet, indeed.

Barb Ickes can be contacted at (563) 383-2316 or bickes@qctimes.com.