That sign on the left — no skating etc. — didn’t seem to have an effect in this case.
Those beautiful steps in front of the Linn County Courthouse may just be too tempting if you’re a kid with a skateboard.
That’s the impression I got when I happened to pass the courthouse last Wednesday evening and snapped the photo above. It reminded me of the times the county commissioners spent some money refurbishing those steps.
I looked it up at newspapers.com, where I found a story by Alex Paul of the Albany Democrat-Herald that appeared in the paper on Sept. 29, 2010. (I still worked there too at the time.)
Alex works for the county now. The story he wrote as a news reporter 13 years ago reported on the work done by two experts in repairing and cleaning the terrazzo tiles that make up the steps.
The refurbishing job took two weeks, during which the steps were closed to the public. The work cost the county $15,350.
Similar work had been done about 15 years before. If that is about the normal interval for terrazzo maintenance, the county may have to retain those expert craftsmen again in another couple of years.
The steps, by the way, are original from when the courthouse was completed in 1940. No wonder the county would like to keep skates and biycles from damaging those tiles.
Just to remind everyone, here are a couple of photos I took in front of the courthouse in 2021. (hh)
There was more than just one sign like this in 2021, when I took this shot and the one below.
Since there was a bike rack too, the ban on bikes seemingly did not apply to parking them.
Hard to worry about skateboards damaging property when we let junkie vagrants sleep, use drugs, accost the public, and urinate/deficate anywhere they please.
Don’t forget, apparently it is perfectly acceptable to spend a month screaming “I’ll kill you!” and “Murder needs to happen!” at someone because you saw them sitting on their porch while you were taking a shit in Periwinkle Creek (or sidewalk adjacent).
Nope, not a crime in Albany. It’s a “City issue” and it’s the Parks & Rec Dept’s job to…I dunno, police the park, I guess.
Seems like a responsible would have given guidance to the boarders to stay off the steps.
Skateboards don’t damage steps they weigh less than 5 pounds where’s the ban on all the fat …s walking up them you ain’t got nothing to worry about
I’ve got a 4 pound hammer that could do a lot of damage and that’s a lot lighter than your 5 pound skateplank. What do you think steel wheels do? (HINT- they chip the edges)
Besides, there’s a sign that says DON’T. There ARE other places designed for your type.
Dude, get with it, bruh. The last time anyone used a steel skateboard wheel was 1867. Boomer.
An obvious lie. I hear too many of them in the wee hours of the morning during warm weather when my windows are down.
Why don’t you address the issue of a sign saying DON’T? Is it your lack of maturity & respect?
True, but how much do YOU weigh…ON that skate board?
What happens when you nosedive down those stairs and your board goes flying out from under your feet? It ain’t a 30 inch marshmallow. You’re a skater, you should know, gravity isn’t the only force being applied to your deck.
How are skateboards damaging it???????
Because when you grind it chips or scratches whatever your grinding on…
Skateboards also damage things when the rider loses control of it.
What a joke. Those kids were just jumping down the steps and not even skating or grinding on the steps themselves. This is what bothers you about downtown? What about all the vagrants that are sleeping in the 2 rivers market? Let’s focus on some real problems and let the kids be kids.
The right wingers have to stop calling out vandals as it offends Woods and Hartman, at least if it is grafiti. Tearing up the steps is probably not as severe as painting them.
Hey Hasso can you find out what the County or Who ever bought the old Wells Fargo Bank spent on rock to fill that Hole? It would be interesting to know.