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Local Skaters Raise Funds For Newtown’s Annual Skate Park Fundraiser

Published: Nov 03, 2025 7:00 am

On Saturday, October 25, many Newtown locals and skateboarders from the local area came out to skate the park and participate in beginner and intermediate jams and a Best Tricks Contest.

The fundraiser is put on in collaboration with Swimming Co, a Newtown based skateboard shop owned by Richard Beck, and Newtown Parks & Recreation. The fundraiser is put on around Halloween every year, but Beck, owner of Swimming Co, hopes to do more events seasonally.

Beck said he wants to “[make] more flow, more lanes” in the park with the money raised. He hopes to continue supporting the local skate community by encouraging young skaters to participate in events. Now that the fundraiser is in its third year, Beck wants to continue the growth of the park and make it more beginner-friendly. He hopes to expand the park as well.

Beck said the other contestants received free t-shirts, which were designed by a young skater. “We have a new wave of younger guys,” Beck said, “I want them to feel that [support], I want them to have stake in [the park].”

Pedro Periera skates up the half-pipe during Newtown Parks & Recreation’s Annual Newtown Skate Park Fundraiser.

TaeQuan Price jumps off the ledge during the Best Tricks Contest.

Heitor Britis sends it off the eight-stair ramp to secure first place in the Best Tricks Contest. At just 17 years old, he recently won a skate competition in Danbury according to Beck.

Griffin Blassberg of Redding jumps off the six-stair. Many skaters tried jumping off the six-stair during both warm-ups for the Best Trick Contest and the contest itself. It proved to be a difficult obstacle for skaters of all ages.

At just 11 years old, John Bongiovanni took home first prize for the Beginner Jam. First prize was a brand new board from Swimming Co.

Jose Arias grinds down the six-stair rail.

Blassberg kickflips over the six-stair.

Blassberg jumps the six-stair obstacle.

Blassberg attempts a kickflip during Best Tricks Contest.

Britis jumps over the six-stair ramp.

Alvin Chhewt jumps over the six-stair.

Chhewt attempts to jump over the six-stair.

Periera leaps over the six-stair ramp.

Periera tries to do a trick while jumping over the six-stair.

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Well said. Sometimes we can get carried away a bit, so good to be encouraged to stay kind and enjoy the campaign.

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Perfect message, thanks Newtown Bee.

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Bruce’s letter paints a picture of runaway development, but the real story is the collapse of local cooperation — not the rise of §8-30g. That law has been on the books since 1990. For decades, towns and developers worked together to shape projects that made sense: added sidewalks, deeper setbacks, fewer units — genuine compromise. What’s changed isn’t the law, it’s the politics. A loud social media mob has made any compromise politically toxic. The “no growth” crowd demands nothing be built anywhere, ever, and bullies anyone who suggests otherwise. Planning and zoning boards no longer negotiate; they hunker down, hoping to appease the Facebook comment section. But here’s the irony — when compromise dies, developers stop compromising too. Once a project triggers §8-30g, the town can fight it, but state law ensures the developer will eventually win. So instead of working out a reasonable design, everyone heads to court. The developer doubles the unit count to pay for the lawyers, and the town burns taxpayer money trying to lose more slowly. That’s how we end up with the very projects the NIMBY mob fears — because they made reasonable development impossible. If people truly care about Newtown’s character, they need to stop the performative outrage and start engaging in real planning again. Screaming “no” to everything isn’t preservation — it’s self-sabotage.

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I’m honestly surprised Bruce had to look up what an “agreement in principle” means. After years of business experience and managing 200 people, I would have expected that term to be familiar by now. Hard to believe it’s a new concept at this stage in his career. Although rest assured Newtown, vote row A and when times get tough, we have Google to help the selectman.

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I asked AI what does agreement in principle mean An "agreement in principle" is a preliminary, non-binding understanding reached between two or more parties that outlines the fundamental terms of a future contract. It is considered a stepping stone toward a formal, legally enforceable agreement. This type of agreement is used to establish mutual intent and a basic framework for negotiations before the parties commit to a detailed, final contract.

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Local Skaters Raise Funds For Newtown’s Annual Skate Park Fundraiser

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