SKATEBOARDERS IN MOURNING AS PARK WIPED OUT

WORCESTER — Skateboarders stood amid debris under a railroad overpass at Washington and Plymouth streets on Sunday and mourned the makeshift skate park demolished without warning by the city two days before.

“This is depressing, dude,” said Raymond “Radio Ray” Nydam, 47, of Worcester.

“I was here last night, just sitting here, drinking a beer, looking at the ‘RIP’ in the middle made out of stone,” Nydam said.

“I’m celebrating the funeral of this place here. I’m in mourning.”

Adam Kacprzicki, 33, of Rutland agreed: “We all are in a state of mourning.”

The city on Friday tore down the Worcide DIY Skate Park, located next to a homeless encampment under two railroad bridges at the end of Washington Street.

The city’s commissioner of inspectional services, John R. Kelly, called the skate park “a disaster waiting to happen,” and said the decision to take it apart was jointly reached by his department along with the Fire and Police departments.

Deputy fire Chief Martin Dyer said firefighters responding to a trash fire Tuesday afternoon at the skate park found an “immediate threat to public safety” presented by “an enormous amount of combustible material” there.

“There was anywhere from 50 to 75 tires, furniture and an incredible amount of solid waste under the bridge,” Dyer said.

On Sunday, the curved wooden skateboard ramp lay upended against a graffiti-painted concrete wall at back.

Tires were strewn atop bits of clothing and personal items left by homeless who sleep there. The area was not fenced off.

“Doing this isn’t going to solve any issue,” said Kacprzicki. “There isn’t even a fence up. People are going to be sleeping here tonight.”