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A mother completes her mission in naming park

Stewy's Skate Park honors Amber Costa's son, who died before realizing his dream.

By WILL VAN SANT
Published February 2, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - Her late son's dream was realized in the summer of 2003.

But for Amber Costa, there was one last thing to be done.

Costa came to the County Commission chamber Tuesday with a petition signed by 4,262 supporters and persuaded the board to name the skateboard complex at Pioneer Park in honor of her dead son.

The 18,720 square feet of concrete, ramps and half-pipes on Pinehurst Drive in Spring Hill is now Stewy's Skate Park.

"You know how you start something and start something, but it's not finished," Costa said after the unanimous vote. "Now it's finished. It puts a little more closure on things."

On Jan. 19, 2001, Stewart Abramowicz and his twin brother, Anthony, were riding scooters along Pinehurst Drive at dusk when they were struck by a car.

The two 12-year-olds were flown by helicopter to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. Anthony survived. Stewart, who suffered head trauma, two broken legs and lung damage, did not.

A passionate skateboarder and surfer, Stewart and his friends had begun gathering signatures in support of a skate park before he died. After his death, the idea gathered steam.

Spring Hill activist Rachel Rodriguez and a group of local kids held carwashes, golf tournaments and spaghetti dinners. They raised $125,000. The county agreed to match the figure. Local businesses donated materials and labor.

And the skate park found an advocate in County Commissioner Diane Rowden. In 1993, Rowden lost her 11-year-old son Jared in a swimming accident. She and Costa bonded.

Pioneer Park opened in June of 2003. Its entrance is just yards from where Stewart was killed. The complex features a Brazilian granite memorial to Abramowicz with the inscription, "Heaven is a Halfpipe."

The skate complex marked a major victory for Costa and other supporters, but despite the memorial, the facility was still not named for Stewart, as had been hoped.

Rowden had tried.

In April of 2003 and in June of 2004, she raised the issue with fellow county commissioners. Stewart's friends made appeals. But Rowden could not get board support for what seemed a simple naming.

Some members were opposed to the park because public money had been used to build it. They appeared to resent Rowden's involvement and argued against the naming. Others suggested planting a Stewy's Memorial Garden instead.

According to Costa and Rowden, the kids would have none of it. They wanted the place named Stewy's Skate Park, no more, no less.

So Costa, who helps manage Pioneer Park, which also has a playground and basketball court, continued her petition drive. Kids gathered signatures. So did their parents.

And when she arrived at the chamber with her 4,262 names, the County Commission finally signed on, too.

"This is a good example of letting the kids be heard," Costa said. "They felt they needed to have something that belonged to them. And the naming of the park put the final touch on it."

Rowden gave credit to youths who fought for the naming, but she also singled out Costa, whose battle to have her son remembered is a mission Rowden understands.

"She had to complete what he had started," the commissioner said.

Will Van Sant can be reached at 754-6127 or vansant@sptimes.com

The County Commission met Tuesday and took the following actions:

Agreed to pay $2,585 in impact fees for the Sheriff's Office substation to be built at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Union Street. The substation will house two deputies and a clerk and have a large space for community programs. A playground and basketball court will also be built at the site. Officials hope to break ground on the project, which has been in the works for years, within four months. The substation should take nine months to build, officials said.

Approved a Parks and Recreation Department request to continue a program that pays part of the cost for low-income youth to attend Camp Funshine, the department's summer camp. The money will come from the department's operating account and is not to exceed $15,000 a year. Officials said the money will allow between 50 and 55 low-income kids to attend Camp Funshine annually.

[Last modified February 2, 2005, 00:32:17]