Skateboarders are Lagunans, too

It was another great morning in Laguna until the paper arrived with the headline, “Skate park plans take a tumble.�

I know all the dog owners are happy with the outcome of the “proposed� skate park because it serves their needs as residents of this classic beach town, but what about all the residents that have been waiting for years for a place to “legally� skate in their town?

What’s wrong with our leaders? Do any of you have a child who skates? Are all the leaders of this city dog owners? What a great message you send our youth, that if you have no “friends� at city council then all your dreams are just that -- dreams.

And, for the record, I am a lifetime local with family living here since the ‘40s; a skateboarding father who has two sons who love the sport and would love to stay in their town and not have to go to Laguna Niguel or Laguna Hills.

But it’s not the drive, it’s the arrogance of some dog owners who push their world onto ours. Has anyone ever seen a dog poop on the public grass or beach only to see the dog owner walk away from it?

Have you ever stepped in dog poop in this city? Have you ever heard of dogs biting people?

These are some of my concerns that are as petty as what some dog owners say the skateboarders will do to “their� park. Also, did anyone tell the dog owners that it’s not illegal to walk your dog on the street -- any street. It’s not illegal to walk them down Skyline. It’s not illegal to walk them downtown. It’s not illegal to walk on the beach before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

You can have your dog almost anywhere in town legally -- but the only place to skate legally in Laguna is on private property.

That makes so much sense. I guess the phrase, “Have your cake and eat it, too� really applies here.

So much for my kids’ sport. It’s not in the criteria of “normal� sport, so will we just keep driving and give our money to Laguna Niguel.

Like Mr. Pribram says, what’s happening to this once-community town? And dog owners, look up the word “community� in the dictionary. It’s not just you who lives here.

* Brandon Haymond lives in South Laguna.