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Sports equipment dealers get ready for a rush. Moms and Dads get out your chequeâ€"books. _ Waterloo may be getting a skateboard park. City council gave approâ€" .l in principle Monday ght to a community serâ€" vices report recommending the construction of a skaâ€" teboard park to be located at Moses Springer Arena. Park approved in principle _ Skateboard parks consist of bowls. channels. halfâ€" pipes and snake runs all blended together to provide enthusiasts with hours of skating fun‘". the report said. The cost of constructing a skateboard park can vary greatly. depending on how elaborate the facilities. In 1978. the community serâ€" vices department reported the cost of a suitable park to be between $450.000 and According to the new reâ€" rt. that included the cost of concrete to build the various channels and banks and the cost of erecting a steel building. It didn‘t inâ€" clude property and parking lot costs A new system. developed in London. makes the conâ€" struction of a facility posâ€" sible at a much lower cost The system is advan tageous in two ways. ac cording to the report The individual â€"comâ€" ponents may be assembled in any number of configuraâ€" tions to suit the facility and Some very important parliamentary decisions were being made in the heart of the city last weekend despiâ€" te the fact that few Waterlooites were aware that anyâ€" thing unusual was taking place. Nuclear energy, health care, in particular the Ontario Hospital Inâ€" surance Plan (OHIP) and genetic research were ‘topics which came under fire by as many as 112 parâ€" Approximately 112 delegates from across southern Ontario participated in the 11th Ontario Youth Parliament held at the First United Church in Waterloo last weekend. Ontario Youth Parliament ‘79 By Terry James Chronicle staff writer the clientele. And economiâ€" cally the new system is betâ€" ter because it calls for the use of standard construction materials. If the facility is constructâ€" ed. the City can also save money by using staff from the adjacent swimming pool to help operate and mainâ€" tain the park. The report stressed the importance of meeting saâ€" fety regulations in the proâ€" posed park. ‘*All participants would have to wear protective equipment including knée pads, elbow pads. helmet and gloves. The attendant on duty at the facility would have to check all skaâ€" teboards being used to make sure the bearings on the wheels are in good working order." the report said. There would be no inâ€" crease in the City‘s liability insurance premiums if a properly equipped and suâ€" pervised skateboard park was erected. Estimated cost of the park â€" using the inâ€" dividual component methâ€" od ~ â€" is $8.000. The park would be diassembled durâ€" ing the winter months to allow for iceâ€"sports. It would be erected in May and used until September The skateboard park proâ€" posal was approved in prinâ€" ciple It was referred to budâ€" get.and will be discussed and possibly approved at the City‘s budget meeting. Saâ€" turday. March 31 liamentary figures, including the Honpurable Preâ€" mier. . No, Premier Davis was not in town but Premier Duffus was. Dave Duffus, a 21â€"yearâ€"old U of W sys tems design engineering student from Wallaceburg, filled the Premier‘s shoes quite competently as he took part in the 11th Ontario Youth Parliament.. Students between the ages of 15 and 20 converged on Hilliard Hall, First United Church Friday, March 16, from as far north as Timmins, as far east as Ottawa Mayor Marjorie Carroll joined in with members of the UW Engineering Society on Saturday morning as they tried to pull a fullâ€"sized highway coach up University Avenue. The "Big Push®" is an annual fundâ€" raising event for Big Sisters. Students and city officials pulled the bus a total of 6.4 kilometres and pledges, taken on a per kilometre basis, amounted to $2,.500. The procession was led by the RIGID TOOL. the engineering mascot, the engineering band and the Plummers Hard Hat band Big push for little sisters â€" *\ Witerioo Chronicle, Wednesday, March 21, 1979 â€" Page 6 and as far west as Windsor to take part in the annual Christian conference designed to bring young people together for discussions of contemporary issues. Traâ€" ditionally the four day parliament is held the first weekend of the secondary school March break. Ruth vanMossel, an 18â€"yearâ€"old student at Forest Heights, said very few participants were from the Kâ€" W area. This was her second year to be involved and she took on the title of Minister of Local Arranâ€" gements. â€" & _ The student summed up her feelings about the weeâ€" kend in one word â€" "Great!‘" _ â€" & ‘*You learn a greatâ€"deal about parliamentary preceâ€" dure. The rules of the house (Ontario Legislature) are followed strictly and we debate back and forth,"" she said. "You meet a lot of kids and make some good friends. We share ideas and learn together." Miss vanMossel first learned of the parliament through her church. o S ~ _ ‘‘It‘s an interdenominational activity and a lot of kids learn about it by word of mouth,"" she said. _ _ Last year the event was held in Oakville and the year before in Guelph. Miss vanMossel said it moves from centre to centre each year but stays in Southern Ontario because most of the delegates are from that area. The theme for this year‘s gathering was ‘"Friends". A LOVE project â€" a charitable effort, raised over $500 towardsâ€" purchasing hearing aids for students at the Ontario school for the Deaf in Milton. Money was raised at social functions held in the evening and through party rivalry. Last yéar 150 delegates raised $1000 for the Hospital for Crippled Children in Toronto. The money was used to purchase wheelchairs., â€" _ o The weekend was not all fun and â€"good fellowship. The delegates get involved in some serious discusâ€" sions and their conclusions will be forwarded to the appropriate government bodies for consideration. One of the issues, which became a rather emotional debaâ€" te, was genetic research and test tube babies. *A lot of delegates felt that test tube babies shouldn‘t be and others felt it was inevitable that such research shauld be carried on," said Miss vanMossel. The delegates drew the debate to a close by suggestâ€" ing that the government set restrictive guidelines for (Continued on page 8)