As journalism finds itself navigating the wasteland of social media, we often see people complaining about city hall to the folks on their friends lists — and that is where it stops.

While people might see those posts and hit a "like" button, that usually becomes the extent of the effort. They rarely take the next step: Parking themselves at the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall to express their frustration to the people who took an oath to address it.

Thank goodness for citizens like Justin Kerr. He took it upon himself, along with other skating enthusiasts, to approach the parks and rec department and city council to seek permission to begin fundraising.

We remember covering the first story when Kerr had the idea to transform abandoned tennis courts into a facility benefiting beginner skaters — a less technical alternative to the park at TJ Davis.

“I want to see a space where I can bring my daughter out and teach her how to skate,” Kerr said in a joint press release from the city and Brightspeed, a contributor to the effort. “The skatepark at TJ Davis is great for advanced skaters, but there isn’t much space to just skate around and learn the basics. I’m hoping we can create a space that has something for skaters of all ability levels.”

This grassroots project blossomed. Kerr and others interested in transforming the dilapidated courts at Emry into an asset for a popular park ultimately raised $30,000.

Additionally, a $15,000 donation from Brightspeed and in-kind demolition work by MJ Price represented a $20,000 savings to the city.

Now, the project is expected to be completed by spring. A group of skaters saw a need, the city saw a way to improve the park, and the community rallied behind the project with funds and labor.

While this isn’t a "fighting City Hall" scenario, it is a lesson in civic engagement. It proves that if you have a concern, you don’t just kvetch about it on social media — you act. And in this instance, that action got results.

We believe this project will better the park and serve a genuine need. We know the skaters involved will treat this park like their own, keeping it clean and helping kids who aren’t interested in mainstream sports get outdoors for exercise and fun.

As one person who shared today’s story noted: “I might not have had a skatepark growing up, but my kids will. That's awesome.”

This is how things get done. Anyone who had other ideas for the park missed their opportunity to go before the city and express their concerns.

We applaud the city and its parks department for backing an idea that started like a light snow and became an avalanche of support.

The story of this skatepark is one of tenacity, persistence, patience, and faith. 

It came about not by being a keyboard warrior, but by being a champion for city improvements. — Editor