from a friend in Montclair:

Hello neighbors,

I had a lot of fun refurbishing the skateboard ramp in the park in Montclair
this summer, and meeting many of my neighbors in the process. As you may
have seen, the ramp is finished and being used regularly by skateboarders of
all ages and by many younger children who love to run up and down it and use
it as a slide, which brings me so much joy.

The work that my crew and I did on the ramp was just the first stage. Our
intention was to get the ramp fun and safe for the summer, then raise the
funds to buy a product called "Ramp Armor," a resin-plywood specially
designed for outdoor skateboard ramps that will last through the winter
rains. Unfortunately, the wet mornings we had a few weeks ago(since when
does it rain in August!?) took their toll. The masonite was warping, so we
needed to get the Ramp Armor sooner than we had hoped. It arrived yesterday,
and I will be installing it today.

Our goal is to raise $2000 in two weeks to pay for the Ramp armor, so
whether you can donate $2, $20, or $200, your donations will go straight
towards keeping the ramp safe and fun.

Your donations are tax deductible, so please dig deep, send this email on to
any friends who may be interested, and post it on other local neighborhood
email lists. (I am not on the Dimond list, so if someone could post it
there, I wold appreciate it.)

Please make checks payable to "Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation" and
put "skate ramp" in the memo. Send them or drop them by in person to:

Mark Zinns
Montclair Recreational Center
6300 Moraga Ave.
Oakland, CA 94611