BY KAREN BOSSICK

It seemed as if it was just yesterday that the City of Ketchum embarked on an expansion of the Guy Coles Skatepark.

Now, nearly two months later, the City will reopen the park at 4:30 p.m. today—Saturday, Oct. 27—and is encouraging all skateboarders to join in the celebration.

Mayor Nina Jonas will be among the city officials attending.

“The Guy Coles Skatepark has been a fixture of our downtown and community for more than two decades,” said Jonas. “This expansion takes the park to the next level and adds yet another gem to our expanding and improving collection of public parks and recreational facilities.”

The 22-year-old park features new rails and elevated ramps in a $127,000 project designed and engineered by the Oregon-based Dreamland Skateparks LLC.

The expanded park also features a painting on an obelisk created by local artist Molly Snee. Snee’s painting depicts the history of skateboarding dating back to the 1970s, as well as curbs, rails and an old Ketchum fire hydrant.

The public art was made possible by the Percent for Art Ordinance adopted in 2011. The ordinance, updated in 2014, allows for 5 percent of the cost of public works projects to be dedicated to public art displays.

The money for the expansion came from the Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency, the Guy Coles Skate Park Trust Fund, the city’s Parks and Recreation Miscellaneous Donations Trust Fund and local fundraisers, such as the sale of artistically designed skateboards sold during a gala event at The Board Bin.