The Dickinson skate park was closed for renovations August 11-13, and parts of the park will be closed over the next two to three weeks to accommodate repairs, renovations, and the installation of some new features.

According to Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold, who spoke to The Newtown Bee August 10, Dickinson’s skate park is “going on 11 years old,” and needs some maintenance due to winter weather and normal wear and tear from use, as the park is used “continuously.”

“The park has held up incredibly well; it was built using good quality products and the pre-casts have held up,” Mangold said. “The park is still under warranty and we feel that one item has worn out sooner than it should have. American Ramp Company is honoring the warranty.”

The section that wore out will be entirely removed and rebuilt, Mangold stated.

The company will be coming in to do some repairs as well as regular maintenance to extend the life of the park features.

Additionally, the recreation department has received a “generous donation” from the Capozziello family, who lost their son, Thomas, and raised money for the skate park in his honor.

“It’s been an honor for me to work with the family and create the enhancements [to the park] that their son envisioned,” said Mangold. “The donation helped pay for the enhancements.”

Enhancements include some new features, as well as some remodeling and some “reconfiguring of existing paths to add skate value to the park,” stated Mangold.

Enhancements were made at the suggestion of users of the park, and will help skaters transition from one feature to the next.

A bank will be added on one of the turns to allow skaters to ride up on it and navigate that section more cleanly. Additionally, a side area to do tricks will be added; currently, skaters do tricks in an area that is in the normal flow of the track.

Some additional areas will be paved alongside a straightaway to allow skaters to use a feature along that pathway. Another paved area to do tricks will be added off the curve at the far end of the park.

Additionally, a stone in honor of Thomas Capozziello will be installed, along with a plaque.

The stone will read “Thomas Capozziello” and “’Tom Caps.’” The plaque will read, “Tom Caps — loving son, loving brother, loving friend. Tom devoted a majority of his time to his love of skateboarding. Even if it snowed you could find Tom here at the park shoveling the snow so he could skate during the colder months. We will never forget Tom or his legendary hard flips. His spirit will live on through this skate park forever.”

“Tom was a fixture at the park,” said Mangold. “Without the Capozziello family we would not have the skate park that we have.”

The total project cost is $24,309, with the Capozziello fund paying $22,400 and another donation to the town paying $225. The town’s balance is $1,684. That amount may be reduced by an additional $500, as the recreation department is expecting another $500 donation toward the project. There is some cost to the town included from the warranty item due to a mobility fee from the company.

“This is phenomenal, it’s incredible what we’re getting for that amount,” said Mangold.

The recreation department will be working with the Capozziello family on an unveiling date for the updated park. Mangold stated that some of the skaters wanted to get a DJ, but that is “not what the Capozziellos want.”

“They want a quiet day to unveil the stone,” said Mangold. “We will contact the skaters and plan more events there.”

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Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.