By LISA BRITTON

Of the Baker City Herald

It took four weeks and lots of talking, but Zack McVay has a brand-new skateboard.

He won the board by selling 505 raffle tickets to help raise money for a new skate park.

andquot;I’d wake up and go skate and sell,andquot; he says in between tricks at the existing skate park near the YMCA pool.

The 14-year-old didn’t admit to any special tips to aid his sales.

His mom knows, though.

andquot;I think it’s just his charming personality. He’s pretty smooth,andquot; Angie McVay said.

Aiden Lang, 7, came in second by selling 296 tickets.

andquot;I wanted to win,andquot; he says, sitting on his own new board as it rolls down a concrete ramp. He began skating last year.

The raffle is just one of many fund-raisers organized by the Baker City skate park committee to help fund the construction for a new skate park.

The money raised in this year’s raffle $1,200 in just the last four weeks will be used to purchase the blueprints for the new park, a 14,000 square foot addition of ramps, obstacles and features to the existing 4,000 square foot park. One of the next phases is to accept bids for construction.

The estimated cost of the new park is about $150,000.

The raffle will continue until winners are drawn during the Fall Festival on Sept. 26.

Tickets are for sale for $1 each from skateboarding youth, or call Angie McVay at 523-5291.

New features on an old park

The skate park committee began working with area youth in 2001 after discovering an interest for a new skate park that offered more of a challenge for the advanced crowd.

The current park is now in a mid-construction phase, said skate park committee chairman Ron Dickison.

One ramp has been ripped out and the space awaits a fresh pour of concrete.

andquot;The concrete was bad and not skateable any more,andquot; Dickison said. andquot;The (new) concrete’s already paid for. We just need to hold another construction day.andquot;

During the last work day, youth and adults teamed up to pour concrete, pull weeds and clean up the area.

The group hopes to have the new park finished in about two years depending on fund-raisers and grants.

In the meantime, the youth will see a few new rails and ramps added to the old park.

Dickison hopes to do this within the next six months.

andquot;So we can actually show the kids progress,andquot; he said.

The group kept the youths’ interest piqued during the colder months by providing an indoor skate at the Nazarene Church bus barn with adult supervision.

When the weather warmed, Dickison said they tried to move everything to the outdoor course.

andquot;That fizzled from lack of volunteers,andquot; he said.

But they need the adult volunteers to keep the plans on track and moving in the right direction.

andquot;We’re looking for new parental involvement for the winter activities,andquot; Dickison said.

Right now they have about 75 young skateboarders involved in the project.

The next skate park committee meeting is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Baker County Library.

For more information on the skate park project, call Dickison at 523-3489.