MBNA donates equipment for Pittsfield skateboard park

PITTSFIELD – Cianbro Corp. has secured more than $50,000 worth of high-quality skateboard park equipment for the town of Pittsfield, donated by MBNA.

Peter “Andi” Vigue of Cianbro confirmed Tuesday that Cianbro had constructed an indoor skateboard park at MBNA’s Point Lookout Park facility on Route 1 outside Belfast about two years ago. The facility, part of a campus of more than 10 buildings, is for employees only and is being replaced by a bowling alley.

As a result, Cianbro was contracted to remove the equipment and arranged to bring it, at no cost, to Pittsfield. Some of it has already arrived, said Vigue, and is being stored in a building leased by Cianbro in the Pittsfield Industrial Park.

A small group of Pittsfield residents has been trying to raise funds for equipment and determine a location for a community skateboard park for several years without success.

The MBNA donation now nearly assures the park’s success and organizers are mobilizing to find a permanent location that will either be donated or could be purchased.

“We are so excited and grateful,” said Val Cianchette, one of the skateboard committee’s organizers. “We have half-pipes, quarter-pipes, rails, fun boxes – all this equipment. Now we just need to find a place.”

Organizers are meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, at Warsaw Middle School, to begin locating a park site. “We are looking for support, ideas and suggestions,” said Cianchette. She said several locations in town are currently being researched and organizers would have to come up with fund-raising plans to purchase land or seek a property donor.

Anyone unable to attend the meeting who would like to share ideas may contact Cianchette at 487-6036 or Peterson at 487-3700 before Wednesday’s meeting.