New York * -- According to the Pueblo Chieftan, local skateboarders in Pueblo, Colorado * want to rename the Pueblo skatepark * in honor of a local soldier who died in Iraq * last month. Blake Harris was a local skater who was apparently felled by a roadside bomb while on patrol in the middle east nation.

Said Terri Wenzel, owner of the Next Skateboard and Snowboard Shop, "Blake was an all-around fun guy and he was with us from the beginning when we were trying to get the skate park built. It hits close to home for all of us."

People who agree that the skatepark should be renamed can show their support for the move by signing a petition at Next Skateboard and Snowboard Shop, at 622 N. Main Street in downtown Pueblo. The public park was constructed nine years ago after a grass-roots effort from the local skateboarding community.

Colorado state regulations only officially recognize signatures from those over 18 years old. Wenzel says she's currently collected over 100 signatures of backers 18 and over. She said she is also considering creating another petition for those under 18, to help show the city the breadth of the support for the idea.

According to Pueblo City Parks Director Rich Zajac, the petitions are typically the only significant step to renaming a park facility.

This article was based the author's research, and on the article "Skateboarders seek to rename park for fallen soldier" by Jeff Tucker, found at http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1176533784/5

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