The Buffalo News is reporting that a the owner of a skateboard shop in downtown Lancaster is closing his business, due to the Lancaster Village Board considering a ban on skateboarding on village sidewalks.
Skate shop owner Dan Prichard plans to shut down his Sirens Skateshop as soon as he sells out of merchandise, saying he’s fed up after months of hassles with a small group of critics who don’t want him or his customers in the business district.
“I fought the village for a year and now I’m done. How much do you take before you know you’re not wanted?” Prichard said in an interview Friday.
The closing of Sirens has a lot of the teenagers who come to the village business district to skate or bikes angry that they now have no place to ride.
The presence of the teenage bikers and skateboarders has split the merchants and residents in the business district. Even if the village bans skateboarding on sidewalks, and even after Sirens shuts its doors, the issue won’t be resolved anytime soon.
The Village Board still must hold a public hearing before voting on the proposed law, but Prichard made his decision to close Sirens after reading news coverage of the meeting. He opened Sirens in August 2011 and it became a destination for skateboarders and bikers. Prichard said he tried to keep them out of trouble and encouraged their interest in the sport.
Prichard said that by closing, he’s making a statement that will rally opposition to the ban. Prichard has stated that he has no intentions to reopen the shop elsewhere.
Friday afternoon, a group of about 20 teens stood outside the toy shop in protest for about five or 10 minutes before a Lancaster police officer told them to break up the gathering.
Apparently in Lancaster protesting is also frowned upon. Tell us what you think…we say let the kids skate!!
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