Councilmember Kirby ("I Hate Skateboarders") Nicol in the news again.

[clarkie]

Mr. Nicol (who is NOT the Mayor of Capitola) seems to be in a bit of a mess, like a misdemeanor for making a false 911 call asking the cops to drive his drunken friend home at 3am. Poor Mr. Nicol suffering a bit of Karmetic Disorder much?

From the Santa Cruz Sentinel:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_12188159

Enjoy!

[Dr. Newton 2.0]

This guy is one of my all time favorite politicians. I one day hope to be just like him, on a larger scale.

[sweatloaf]

he should have waited for his friend to pass out with his shoes on and then drawn swatstikas made of penises on his face

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

This guy is one of my all time favorite politicians. I one day hope to be just like him, on a larger scale.

Yeah right, this guys an idiot! Smart politicians don't get held up in scandals over this shit- they cover it up. If a cop tries to report that shit to the paper, he gets fired before he can snitch, and any reports that come out are from a disgruntled ex-employee with a bone to pick with his former boss. Bush was actually really really good at that type of buck passing and evasion of responsibility.

[Dr. Newton 2.0]

Expand Quote

This guy is one of my all time favorite politicians. I one day hope to be just like him, on a larger scale.

[close]

Yeah right, this guys an idiot! Smart politicians don't get held up in scandals over this shit- they cover it up. If a cop tries to report that shit to the paper, he gets fired before he can snitch, and any reports that come out are from a disgruntled ex-employee with a bone to pick with his former boss. Bush was actually really really good at that type of buck passing and evasion of responsibility.

Yeah, but I can also respect the fact that he is so blatantly horrible, yet still manages to get re-elected.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

This guy is one of my all time favorite politicians. I one day hope to be just like him, on a larger scale.

[close]

Yeah right, this guys an idiot! Smart politicians don't get held up in scandals over this shit- they cover it up. If a cop tries to report that shit to the paper, he gets fired before he can snitch, and any reports that come out are from a disgruntled ex-employee with a bone to pick with his former boss. Bush was actually really really good at that type of buck passing and evasion of responsibility.

[close]

Yeah, but I can also respect the fact that he is so blatantly horrible, yet still manages to get re-elected.

Alright, I'll give him that.

[Narcissus]

he should have waited for his friend to pass out with his shoes on and then drawn swatstikas made of penises on his face

oh man, the schlongstika is bringing it to a higher level.

[clarkie]

He only won by 43 votes. He had big money backing him from a crooked developer. So 44 Capitola skaters could have taken him out! It would be good to get rid of him because some local slalom skaters are trying to bring back the Capitola Classic.

He got called out at his last night's council meeting if anyone is interested:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_12215598

[grimcity]

I just sent him an email and tacked it onto my old email exchange with him (included for context):

In this old email exchange, you expressed how you'd had some bad experiences with skateboarding/skateboarders and you didn't appreciate our social values (something I found to be quite offensive at the time, being a skateboarder heavily involved with the skateboard community on several levels).

Well sir, I'd just like to say that getting drunk, pretending to be a mayor, and wasting your local taxpayer's money by treating your police department as a taxi service is the type of behavior I'd expect only from the type of politicians that make other politicians look bad, generally giving them the bad/elitist stereotype they have.

Admittedly, with some amount of schadenfreude, I'd like to say this:

I'm no longer offended by your gross generalization of the skateboard community, because now I know the source.

With no small amount of schadenfreude, I'd just like to say that this skateboarder doesn't embrace your "demonstrated social values," "activity," nor your possible legal missteps.

I don't believe in karma, but if I did, I'd probably email you and tell that it sucks sometimes.

Good luck getting elected again!

Sincerely,

Neal Boyd,
A skateboard extremist that has never told the cops he was a mayor.

On Tue, May 1, 2007 at 3:07 PM, Kirby Nicol <[email protected]> wrote:

    Neal.

    First of all, my name is spelled “Nicol”.

    Secondly, the newspaper “quote” that prompted your email was taken out of context, as a result of which I am now receiving vicious threats of bodily harm from skateboard extremists, which does not endear me to them.

    Here’s what’s really going on out here on the left coast: We have 7 skateboard parks in our county. We in Capitola have, for some time, been exploring the idea of building a skateboard park for our youth. The record will show that it was, in fact , I,  who initiated the movement to build such a facility in a controversial local park, in response to the local skateboard community’s lobby, despite the fact that I, personally have had a series of bad experiences with the sport and its culture and do not embrace the demonstrated social values of activity. The skateboard park project has failed in our community due to overwhelming public opposition.

    Thank you for your interest.

    Kirby Nicol.

     

   

From: Neal Boyd [mailto:[email protected]]
    Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 9:23 AM
    To: [email protected]
    Subject: Concerning Skateboarders and Skateparks

     

    Good morning, councilman Nichol!
    I would like to take a moment of your time to address some comments you made, comments that have been traveling through the skateboard community via the internet and email. Before I go on, please understand that respect that everyone has their opinions, and my wish isn't to change yours, but to relay some personal experiences that no doubt differ from yours.

    The comments to which I'm addressing were found in this article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/May/01/local/stories/06local.htm
    You're quoted as saying, "I don't like skateboarders, and I don't like skateboard parks," before scrapping the idea of building a public skatepark for your local youth.

    As a skateboarder myself, I'm a bit alarmed that there might be an individual out there that doesn't like me because of the athletic activity I take part in after work (I work for my state government down in Louisiana). Along with that, I hate to think that multitudes of kids might not be liked by a government official simply because they entertain themselves with a plank of wood strapped to four wheels. I don't know if such generalizations are fitting for a councilman, but I admittedly don't live anywhere near your area, so you may very well speak for other people in your community that also dislike children and adults that take part in what I consider the most creative extra curricular activities available to date.

    I can't make you like us, I know that. But I do wish to offer up the idea that skateboarders aren't one particular type of person. The act of skateboarding is at an all time high, attracting kids and adults from all walks of life, with numerous interests and varied personalities. Through interaction, you may find that the only commonality shared between individual skateboarders is the fact that they simply enjoy the act of manipulating a skateboard. At least that's my experience. According to some nationwide statistics, the number of people riding skateboards surpasses the number of people playing baseball... and I would venture to say that there's no one way to define the character of baseball players as a whole, at least by using blanket judgments.

    As well as not being able to make you like us, I'm also aware that there's no way for me, a guy several states away, to convince you that a skatepark could be a benefit to the area you preside over. What I can say however, is that it worked wonders here in my sleepy little city of Hammond, Louisiana. With support from my mayor and our city council, my city built a skatepark in a highly trafficked downtown area... a general area that was used by skaters to practice their hobby, much to the dismay of local business owners, law enforcement, and the parents of the skaters in question (no parent likes to pick up their children from the police station for any reason). Since the construction of our park, my city's law enforcement has noted a significant decrease in skateboarders being in places that they shouldn't. On top of that, our local youth and adults have used the local park to such a degree that it quickly became the most used public facility in our city... so used in fact, our city council approved of additions to the park to accommodate the skateboard population of our city, as well as tourists and visitors. Our local economy has also benefited from the construction of the park, as thirsty and hungry skateboarders have been supporting local businesses by purchasing drinks and food at every store within walking distance from the facility built by our city.

    Finally, I beg you to watch this short video:
    http://www.smalltimeskates.com/hammond/

    Our local park and skateboard scene were recently featured on television, and I think the clip does a great job at showing several positive aspects of having a skatepark to accommodate the needs of local youth and adults that take part in this activity.

    I really do appreciate your time, and as I stated, there's no way that I can change your perception of us. If anything, I hope this message serves to give you a viewpoint that you may not have considered or had the chance to hear. I can't speak to your personal experience with skateboarding, but I can relay mine. As it stands, my city has seen the positive side of skateboarding and has enjoyed the fruits of supporting this activity that so many of us enjoy.

    Sincerely,
    Neal Boyd

I'll post any response I get.

[floop]

I just sent him an email and tacked it onto my old email exchange with him (included for context):

Expand Quote

In this old email exchange, you expressed how you'd had some bad experiences with skateboarding/skateboarders and you didn't appreciate our social values (something I found to be quite offensive at the time, being a skateboarder heavily involved with the skateboard community on several levels).

Well sir, I'd just like to say that getting drunk, pretending to be a mayor, and wasting your local taxpayer's money by treating your police department as a taxi service is the type of behavior I'd expect only from the type of politicians that make other politicians look bad, generally giving them the bad/elitist stereotype they have.

Admittedly, with some amount of schadenfreude, I'd like to say this:

I'm no longer offended by your gross generalization of the skateboard community, because now I know the source.

With no small amount of schadenfreude, I'd just like to say that this skateboarder doesn't embrace your "demonstrated social values," "activity," nor your possible legal missteps.

I don't believe in karma, but if I did, I'd probably email you and tell that it sucks sometimes.

Good luck getting elected again!

Sincerely,

Neal Boyd,
A skateboard extremist that has never told the cops he was a mayor.

[close]

Expand Quote

On Tue, May 1, 2007 at 3:07 PM, Kirby Nicol <[email protected]> wrote:

    Neal.

    First of all, my name is spelled “Nicol”.

    Secondly, the newspaper “quote” that prompted your email was taken out of context, as a result of which I am now receiving vicious threats of bodily harm from skateboard extremists, which does not endear me to them.

    Here’s what’s really going on out here on the left coast: We have 7 skateboard parks in our county. We in Capitola have, for some time, been exploring the idea of building a skateboard park for our youth. The record will show that it was, in fact , I,  who initiated the movement to build such a facility in a controversial local park, in response to the local skateboard community’s lobby, despite the fact that I, personally have had a series of bad experiences with the sport and its culture and do not embrace the demonstrated social values of activity. The skateboard park project has failed in our community due to overwhelming public opposition.

    Thank you for your interest.

    Kirby Nicol.

[close]

     

   

Expand Quote

From: Neal Boyd [mailto:[email protected]]
    Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 9:23 AM
    To: [email protected]
    Subject: Concerning Skateboarders and Skateparks

     

    Good morning, councilman Nichol!
    I would like to take a moment of your time to address some comments you made, comments that have been traveling through the skateboard community via the internet and email. Before I go on, please understand that respect that everyone has their opinions, and my wish isn't to change yours, but to relay some personal experiences that no doubt differ from yours.

    The comments to which I'm addressing were found in this article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/May/01/local/stories/06local.htm
    You're quoted as saying, "I don't like skateboarders, and I don't like skateboard parks," before scrapping the idea of building a public skatepark for your local youth.

    As a skateboarder myself, I'm a bit alarmed that there might be an individual out there that doesn't like me because of the athletic activity I take part in after work (I work for my state government down in Louisiana). Along with that, I hate to think that multitudes of kids might not be liked by a government official simply because they entertain themselves with a plank of wood strapped to four wheels. I don't know if such generalizations are fitting for a councilman, but I admittedly don't live anywhere near your area, so you may very well speak for other people in your community that also dislike children and adults that take part in what I consider the most creative extra curricular activities available to date.

    I can't make you like us, I know that. But I do wish to offer up the idea that skateboarders aren't one particular type of person. The act of skateboarding is at an all time high, attracting kids and adults from all walks of life, with numerous interests and varied personalities. Through interaction, you may find that the only commonality shared between individual skateboarders is the fact that they simply enjoy the act of manipulating a skateboard. At least that's my experience. According to some nationwide statistics, the number of people riding skateboards surpasses the number of people playing baseball... and I would venture to say that there's no one way to define the character of baseball players as a whole, at least by using blanket judgments.

    As well as not being able to make you like us, I'm also aware that there's no way for me, a guy several states away, to convince you that a skatepark could be a benefit to the area you preside over. What I can say however, is that it worked wonders here in my sleepy little city of Hammond, Louisiana. With support from my mayor and our city council, my city built a skatepark in a highly trafficked downtown area... a general area that was used by skaters to practice their hobby, much to the dismay of local business owners, law enforcement, and the parents of the skaters in question (no parent likes to pick up their children from the police station for any reason). Since the construction of our park, my city's law enforcement has noted a significant decrease in skateboarders being in places that they shouldn't. On top of that, our local youth and adults have used the local park to such a degree that it quickly became the most used public facility in our city... so used in fact, our city council approved of additions to the park to accommodate the skateboard population of our city, as well as tourists and visitors. Our local economy has also benefited from the construction of the park, as thirsty and hungry skateboarders have been supporting local businesses by purchasing drinks and food at every store within walking distance from the facility built by our city.

    Finally, I beg you to watch this short video:
    http://www.smalltimeskates.com/hammond/

    Our local park and skateboard scene were recently featured on television, and I think the clip does a great job at showing several positive aspects of having a skatepark to accommodate the needs of local youth and adults that take part in this activity.

    I really do appreciate your time, and as I stated, there's no way that I can change your perception of us. If anything, I hope this message serves to give you a viewpoint that you may not have considered or had the chance to hear. I can't speak to your personal experience with skateboarding, but I can relay mine. As it stands, my city has seen the positive side of skateboarding and has enjoyed the fruits of supporting this activity that so many of us enjoy.

    Sincerely,
    Neal Boyd

[close]

I'll post any response I get.

i think it's good that you're taking a positive tone in your letters.  even though it's tempting to go off on the guy, that would be too easy, and not actually do any good.   this makes you (us) look better than him, and makes him look kind of stupid, indirectly.

also, points for using the word schadenfreude in your previous letter (although you use it twice)..   SAT word of the day

[grimcity]

Ah shit, I reused something stuck in my head and neglected to proofread. Fuck it, at least I'm not under investigation. hehe

[clarkie]

Good work grim! This will be interesting. While his anti skateboarding statements were his opinion, nothing legally could be done, but he still could have been censured by the council. But Cali has a penal code that makes using 911 for anything other than an emergency is a misdemeanor. It jumps to a felony if anyone receives injuries or damages due to the police being on a frivolous call. Nicol just supported cutbacks of the police salaries, and his 3am call put the police very shorthanded due to all the bars in Capitola around closing hours. Thanks and I'll keep you posted.
c

[Dr. Newton 2.0]

You guys are just pissing him off even more.

[grimcity]

Yeah, it's like poking someone with a stick. You should try it.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

You guys are just pissing him off even more.

So? That guy doesn't even have enough power to get a fucking cop to drive his drunk friend home. Besides, who gives a fuuck about capitola?