cuddlefish: Gotham Girls Roller Derby - Urgent Action Required

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Gotham Girls Roller Derby - Urgent Action Required

Gotham Girls Roller Derby Home in Danger - Urgent Action Required
Voice your concern to the City and Borough officials this week!

3/15/04 -- New York City officials have recently imposed a number of restrictions on the operations of The Skate Key in Mott Haven. The restrictions were implemented after a raid on February 4 shut down the rink for over a week, temporarily padlocked under the city's Nuisance Abatement law.

*** The evolving situation threatens the premiere season of Gotham Girls Roller Derby, as well as our ability to provide beer to our fans at the bouts. ***

Beyond hosting this year's scheduled GGRD matches, the Key provides the league with a secure and private practice area, rental skates for derby beginners, and discount admission. No other New York City venue has been interested in working with us in providing comparable space and access for our practices and bouts.

The rink faces many security and community relations challenges. Over the past four years, 18 people have been shot or stabbed - two fatally - allegedly in connection with the rink (NY Daily News). Thankfully, all Gotham Girls Roller Derby events and practices have been incident-free.

In a court settlement worked out on February 14 under the supervision of Bronx state Supreme Court Justice Douglas McKeon, lawyers for the rink agreed to a new set of rules and a six-month probationary period that allowed the club to reopen. These restrictions include earlier closing hours, age limits, and NO ALCOHOL SALES FOR ONE YEAR.

There is another court date scheduled in two weeks to hear more evidence and potentially to revisit or possibly make exceptions (LIKE GGRD BOUTS) to the current restrictions and, therefore, urgent action is required.

The Skate Key is our home, and the management's help has been essential in getting our league off the ground. The Skate Key also supports a local inline speed skating league, hosts Gospel nights and family weekend skate hours, and stages countless children's birthday parties. They are reaching out and building a wide spectrum of patrons, bringing them into what is largely an industrial neighborhood. Well over 600 people attended the debut GGRD bout in November 2004, nearly all visiting the neighborhood for the first time.

Community Board 1 District Manager Cedric Lofton notes that, "This place has been a burden on the community and its people for far too long," (NY Daily News, Feb. 8, 2005). In cooperation with Skate Key management and other community participants, Gotham Girls Roller Derby is bringing a new crop of skating fans to the rink and improving the image of the South Bronx.

Please assist the Skate Key in their support for the long-loved pastime of roller skating, and help us keep the American-born sport of Roller Derby alive and kicking in New York City. Write to city officials at: cbl@bronxmall.com (Bronx Community Board 1) and webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov (Office of Bronx Borough President, Adolfo Carrión, Jr.) and express your love for the Skate Key and GGRD!

If you know anyone who would be a good representative to add to the list of official supporters (Church and/or Community Leaders, Celebrities, etc.) please pass this information along to them. Contact the Skate Key at (718) 401-1387 or see their web site at www.skatekeyny.com.