Eleven young men approached Slatington's Parks & Recreation Commission Monday to ask about building a skateboard/bike park on borough property.

The teens were taking the advice given them at last month's Finance/Planning/Zoning, Public Safety, and Human/Community Services Committee.The members of TeamSlam, an organized group of 15-20 riders, many under the age of 18, had first approached borough council members at their March committee meeting to request that council allow them to place a removable skateboard/bike park on half of the Walnut Street Playground.The committee had advised them that, though it would certainly consider the idea and most likely be in support of it, the young men would need to check with the playground association for further approval. Committee Chairman David Schnaars also recommended they attend the next Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, which they did on Monday, to also discuss the matter.At the meeting, TeamSlam spokesman and president, Tyler Peters, 17, of Slatington, reiterated the fact that the group, which formed last summer, simply wants a place to ride where they can "ride safe and not get in trouble." He added that members were present to continue to seek assistance in finding a place for a park and also to discuss fundraising ideas.While there, one 18-year-old also expressed an interest in possibly becoming a commission member, as there are currently two open seats. Northern Lehigh Community Center President Paul Gass, who was present in support of the young men, also expressed a possible interest in joining the commission.For the commission's part, members said they were in support of the group's efforts."We were pleased to see them here," Schnaars said, "and we're going to work with them to see what we can come up with."In other news, the commission said a small public park may soon be added to the borough at the southwest corner of Diamond and Chestnut streets.They said the parcel was given to the borough years ago by the county, with the stipulation it be used for recreational purposes. The commission would like to see it help form a larger park with nearby borough property in order to create easy access to Trout Creek for fishing, picnicking and more.In addition, the commission said it is gearing up for its upcoming ninth annual Open Disc Golf Tournament at Victory Park on May 3. Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. and includes free hot dogs and refreshments. More information is available on the Slatington Parks & Recreation Commission Facebook page.