At the Mehen Memorial Skate Park, one generation sets the line for the next

By April Thomas Whitney 

On any given afternoon in New Meadows, you’ll hear it before you see it — the rhythmic clatter of skateboard wheels on concrete, the hollow echo of a drop-in, the playful banter of kids daring each other to try something new. 

Just across from the school, where an aging set of wooden ramps once stood, the Mehen Memorial Skatepark now hums with energy. Teenagers claim the rails. Younger kids hover at the edges, watching, learning, waiting for their turn. Parents linger nearby, keeping an eye out — not just for their own kids, but for everyone else’s too. 

It’s the kind of place that feels like it’s always been there. 

But it hasn’t. 

Where the Idea Began 

The skatepark began as a simple idea — one rooted in the kind of small-town reality where kids often have to make their own fun. 

The original concept came from local residents Garrett St. Pierre and Charlie Boden, who approached the City of New Meadows with a vision for a permanent skatepark. As the idea began to take shape, Hartland Inn owner Rory Mehen was brought into the conversation — a natural fit, given his deep connection to youth and outdoor education. He and his wife Sara Mehen, quickly jumped on board. 

The project became about creating something lasting for the next generation. Rory and Sara didn’t have children of their own, but they invested deeply in the kids of New Meadows, helping create opportunities for them to gather, grow and spend time outdoors. 

That focus on youth wasn’t accidental — it was central to who Rory was. 

Right out of high school, he went to work for Outward Bound and National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), guiding young people on backcountry trips and river expeditions. Teaching, mentoring and getting kids outside wasn’t just a job — it became a defining part of his life. 

“He started taking youth out into the outdoors and doing stuff on the river,” said longtime friend Preston Woods. “That was always a huge part of Rory’s life.” 

Rory, he said, had a way of making everything feel lighter. 

“He was just such a positive guy. Always laughing, always having fun, always finding the best in everything. He’d be humming 80s songs, getting people to sing along without even realizing it. Just a super fun dude.” 

Sara balanced that energy. 

Sara’s energy was more low-key, but no less impactful. “Quiet, thoughtful, but just as passionate about helping the kids and community,” said Woods. Sara supported the cause fully, often from behind the scenes. “She had a heart of gold.” 

The couple was working on a skate park fundraiser when their lives were tragically taken in 2022 during a shooting at the Hartland Inn.  

In the aftermath, the project could have stalled. Instead, it became a rallying point for the whole community.  

A Place to Put the Energy 

In a town like New Meadows, loss doesn’t happen in isolation. It ripples outward. 

For many, continuing the skatepark effort after losing Rory and Sara became a way to navigate their personal grief. 

“It gave us somewhere to put our energy when we didn’t know what else to do — a way to keep moving forward, to feel like we were helping in some small way,” Woods said. “For a lot of us, it started as a way to heal and stay connected.” 

From there, fundraising gathered momentum. Volunteers stepped in. Friends, neighbors, and supporters from across the region contributed time, money, and labor. The park was formally approved by the city in early 2025, and by fall, the vision had taken physical shape: more than 7,000 square feet of concrete features were installed, with bowls, rails, and flow lines that cater to both beginners and experienced riders. 

The half-million-dollar-plus skate park was designed by Grindline Skateparks, one of the nation’s top designers of concrete parks. 

At the grand opening, roughly 200 people showed up — a reflection not just of interest, but of ownership. 

“This is something we built together,” the turnout seemed to say. 

Built by a Generation That Built Their Own 

For Woods, the process of bringing the skatepark to life echoed something familiar. 

“When we first started skateboarding and snowboarding, there weren’t terrain parks. There weren’t skateparks,” he said. “We had to build everything ourselves. We’d get some plywood and go to each other’s garages and build little ramps. I guess it’s a Gen X thing, but if you wanted to ride it, you had to build it.” 

That same spirit carried into the skate park project. 

One of Woods’ favorite moments came just before opening day, when volunteers assembled dozens of skateboards for local kids. 

“We put together about 35 complete boards and gave them out,” he said. “Watching those kids grab a skateboard and step on it for the first time ever — that was one of my favorite parts of the whole day.” 

The next morning, after the crowds had cleared, Woods returned alone. 

“I got to skate by myself,” he said. “That was kind of my moment…” 

Lessons in Motion 

Spend a little time at the park, and it becomes clear this isn’t just about skateboarding. 

It’s about what skateboarding teaches. 

It’s about falling — and getting back up. 

It’s about trying something hard, over and over, until it finally clicks. 

It’s about encouragement from the sidelines: you’ve got this, try again, that was close. 

As Woods put it, skateboarding offers more than just a way to stay active — it teaches kids how to set goals, push through failure, and support one another along the way. It’s a sport built on persistence, where progress comes slowly and encouragement from peers can matter just as much as individual effort. “It just takes a lot of time, a lot of dedication, and it really helps with life skills.” 

It also has a way of breaking down barriers. 

“All of a sudden you’re hanging out with people you wouldn’t normally be hanging out with,” he said. “People outside your peer group.” 

In a small town, that matters. 

The New Hangout 

Stepheny Becker sees the impact of the skate park every day.  

“It’s the new hangout,” she said. “Kids are coming out whether they skate, bike, scooter, rollerblade — they just want to be there.” 

Becker, a New Meadows resident and parent, recently stepped into the role of city event coordinator. She’s already thinking about all the possibilities for the future: clinics, community events, and opportunities to teach not just skills, but park etiquette and stewardship.  

Her perspective is both practical and personal.  

“This thing is incredible — it really strikes that balance between expert and beginner,” she said. “You see kids show up who have no idea what they’re doing, but they’re not intimidated, they’re just excited to try. And through that, they’re building resilience, independence, and confidence in themselves.” 

And until now, the town had nothing like it.  

“It’s given the kids something that really feels like theirs — a place to go that they didn’t have before,” Becker said. “And because it’s right across from the school, they can just walk over, and parents don’t have to scramble. In a small town like this, we all kind of look out for each other and each other’s kids.” 

Her own five-year-old is already a regular. “He wants to go every day,” she said. “Even in the pouring rain.” 

Labor of Love 

If the fall 2025 grand opening marked a milestone, it certainly didn’t mark the end. 

The Mehen Memorial Skatepark is still very much a work in progress — not in its ability to draw a crowd, but in the way the community continues to shape and care for it. 

This spring, volunteers gathered once again, showing up with shovels and wheelbarrows instead of skateboards. Grass was planted and sidewalks installed — simple improvements that will go a long way toward keeping mud out of the bowls and making the space more usable throughout the changing seasons. 

It’s a continuation of the same grassroots effort that brought the park to life in the first place. 

From the beginning, the project has been fueled by a mix of small-town determination and broader regional support. Fundraisers, local events, and individual donations steadily built momentum, eventually helping push the project past the $500,000 mark needed for construction. 

Larger contributions helped close the gap. A $10,000 grant from Brundage Mountain Community Fund underscored the park’s role as a quality-of-life investment for youth in the West Central Mountains. Support from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation added another layer of regional backing, reflecting a shared belief in the long-term value of accessible, community-driven recreation spaces. 

Other pieces have come together in equally meaningful ways. Safety signage has been donated. Volunteers continue to step in where needed. And plans are already in motion for additional improvements, from landscaping to pathways, as funding allows. 

For those closest to the project, that continued effort is part of what makes it special. 

A Living Legacy 

What makes the Mehen Memorial Skatepark unique isn’t just its world-class design or its stunningly scenic location in the heart of Meadows Valley. 

It’s what you feel when you’re there. 

“You really have to see it for yourself to understand the magic of it — it’s just beautiful,” Becker said. “When you’re standing there, you can feel the community effort and the real reason why that skate park was built, even if you don’t know the full story. You can still feel the energy and the effort Rory put into this community, the vision he had, and how Sara put her heart into it, too. I know they’d be so pumped.” 

That feeling — hard to define, impossible to fake — is what lingers. 

It’s in the kid landing their first trick. 

It’s in the older skater offering a tip. 

It’s in the parents watching from the perimeter, knowing their kids have somewhere to go. 

And it’s in the quieter moments, too — in the volunteers planting grass, installing walkways, donating signage, and continuing to care for the space long after the ribbon was cut. 

Because this place was never meant to be finished. 

It’s meant to be used, improved, looked after, and passed forward. 

Something living. 

Something shared. 

Something that continues to carry the spirit of a couple who believed deeply in this community — and a community that chose to keep that belief alive.