“Levi’s Ledge” to honor late resident in town’s new skatepark

Discussion leads to support but not without some emotion and angst

By Mark Reaman

After an emotional hourlong discussion at Monday’s packed Crested Butte town council meeting, the town council voted 6-1 to honor deceased local skater Levi Parr by including his name in a ledge feature that will be part of the newly renovated skatepark at Big Mine Park. That decision was necessary Monday as construction work is preparing to pour concrete for the new park before the next council meeting. A request to name the entire skatepark after Levi will go through a more formal public process and be discussed at a later date. The discussion included tissues, tears and passion from both audience members and councilmembers.

Levi was born into the family that played an instrumental part in the early Crested Butte skate community about the time the CB skatepark was originally constructed. His parents owned The Air Up There, a skate shop on Elk Avenue, and his parents both told the council that Levi basically grew up in the park. He died last summer when the e-motorcycle he was riding at night crashed into a person walking his dogs in Crested Butte South. Both Levi and the man who was struck died as a result of the accident.

“We are here to talk about memorializing Levi and his impact on the skatepark community and how he lived, not died,” said Levi’s mother Teresa Zeiter to the council and the approximately 50 supporters in the council room. “He had kindness and empathy for all newcomers to the park. Over time, he became a role model and encouraged kindness, patience and happiness at the skatepark.”

Teresa said Levi would teach free lessons at the park, shovel snow out in the spring to get the park operating, perform concrete repairs and pick up garbage. “He was known as the mayor of the skatepark,” she said. “While he was diagnosed with social anxiety a few years ago and would seem very shy around town, at the skatepark he was a confident leader who showed no judgment to others. Levi’s absence from the skatepark is unbearable to me.” 

“It would help to see something honoring him” Teresa said.

His dad Jacob Parr said it was his honor to mentor Levi at the park and he saw Levi then mentor many others. “We understand it’s a sensitive matter for everyone, but the Parr family would appreciate having a feature for Levi and renaming the skatepark for him,” he said.

The rest of the local skate community supported that idea.

“Levi was the creator of the culture at that park,” said Sam Brethauer. “He was the leader of the culture every day. If not for Levi, I’m not sure a lot of us kids would have done it. He brought us in and made us better. When he came back from Texas, it was game on. To honor his legacy would be sweet for each of us here today.”

“He helped turn the culture of the skatepark into what it is today,” agreed Levi’s stepmom Annie Parr. “Levi is embedded in the CB skate community and the focus is to honor him with the ledge and renaming. It is a celebration of his life.”

Levi’s stepdad Chris Zeiter said the timing was right to add something in the new park to honor Levi. “Having a permanent landmark will help keep his legacy alive. It would be a great thing for his family and friends to have.”

“Levi was a great example for all the kids,” said local parent Kyleena Falzone, who said her son Harkin spent plenty of hours at the park learning from Levi. “The Parr family started the skate culture in town, thank God, and Levi was a huge part of that.”

Isaac Colucci had the same experience. “Levi had a big impact on me,” he said. “The ledge alone would be a big thing for us in the skate community.”

Josiah Tunkey agreed while speaking on Zoom. “It’s very sensitive for the entire community but obviously Levi was a pillar of the community,” he said. “He was there for anybody and everybody. We should memorialize someone who was so strong for our community so that every day when someone hits that ledge, they’ll remember Levi.”

Ace Hardware owner Ty Sweitzer said Levi had big impacts in small ways over the years. “We watched all these kids grow up. The profound love the kids had for Levi showed up through the years. They all talked about him and what he did for them. He contributed to the kids of the town. Take the opportunity to keep him living in the skatepark for the rest of our lives,” he said to applause.

“The show of people and family in the room tonight is overwhelming,” said Ben Tucker over Zoom from Kentucky. “My kids are so much cooler because of Levi. We’d come out to enjoy the mountains and my kids would head straight for the skatepark and Levi. He touched so many people, not just in Crested Butte. Now is the time to honor him.”

Levi’s brother Judd said Levi influenced not only the Crested Butte skaters but those in Texas when he went there. “He gave underprivileged kids his old skateboards and helped with whatever they needed to get them involved,” he said.

Dave White was also instrumental in the early Crested Butte skate days, and he said it was a “no brainer” to name the skatepark and the ledge for Levi. 

Aimee Newfield said if Levi was still alive “he would still be making huge positive impacts on the kids of the community.”

Hanuman “Kory” Enright said that “Levi made that skatepark what it was. He made people respect it. While honoring him there, you can incorporate the rules of the park he passed down that he felt showed respect for the park.”

The final speaker from the audience, Manni Ragin, said Levi was at the skatepark every day in the summer. “He helped so many kids at the park, both local and out-of-town kids.”

With no more audience comments forthcoming, mayor Ian Billick said it would be appropriate to have a moment of silence for Levi and to reflect on the comments that were made. The council chambers were powerfully and absolutely silent for a full minute.

Because the request for the ledge and naming came in at the end of last week after the council agenda was published, council started their discussion over proper process. Billick said there was some urgency to decide whether to use Levi’s Ledge as part of the park given the timing of the concrete pour. But he said going beyond that could be discussed at a future meeting after more public notice.

Council for the most part expressed comfort in holding off on the naming of the skatepark but were supportive at the Monday meeting with approving the ledge in honor of Levi.

“The skate community is so tight and this obviously means so much to them I think it deserves deference. I am so touched by the sentiment for this,” said councilmember Mallika Magner.

“I too am awed by the community here tonight. However, I also have to look at things with my background in mental health,” said councilmember and school psychologist Beth Goldstone. “This is hard to say right now, but I have a lot of hesitancy for our naming a physical feature for a person. And that’s not meant toward Levi in particular. He sounds like an amazing person.  My training in trauma and crisis response makes it difficult for me to vote for this.”

When pressed for further insight on that perspective from councilmember Jason MacMillan, she said she wasn’t prepared to eloquently explain the issue but that it was about the community as a whole and the longer impacts involved. 

“Losing a child, one person, is incredibly hard for anyone. As a mental health provider, I understand that when we memorialize one person, it can be challenging to other people who may suffer similar circumstances. It can be traumatizing to others. It’s not about Levi not being deserving.”

Councilmember Anna Fenerty voiced a similar position. “I knew Levi but not well. The emotional side to this discussion, is impossible for me to comprehend. This outpouring reminds me of all the beautiful people the community has lost. I think of Collin Weston and how his mom worked to keep his name alive. She established a scholarship fund in his name that paid for kids like me to go to soccer camp years after the car accident that claimed his life. 

“Levi’s memory and how it is preserved is up to the people who love him and not dependent on a sign in the corner of town at the end of the road,” Fenerty continued. “Perhaps this opens the conversation on our growing community’s need for a permanent memorial, like the Vinotok Legends Altar, that honors all the loved ones we’ve lost. I support the ledge idea but am not sure about the park naming. In general, I support Beth and don’t think we should name things after people. I personally see the merit in discontinuing the practice of naming things after real people.”

“Given the impact he has obviously made, the ledge seems a really appropriate way to honor him,” said MacMillan. 

An emotional Billick summed up the discussion for the audience. “This is why I serve on the council,” he said. “It is for the community. I come back to the idea that this request is a celebration of life, not a statement on death. I understand it isn’t easy for first responders for example. People are complicated. The skate community stepped up significantly together and again reminded us that this is about life so I support the idea. I also appreciate Beth and Anna’s opinion. It is not easy to have hard conversations, but these types of discussions make us stronger as a community.”

“Our family respects their opinion and recognizes it,” said Jacob Parr. 

Council voted 6-1 to approve the request to have a ledge feature in the park memorialized to Levi. Goldstone voted against the motion.

Billick asked representatives of the Gunnison County Skate Alliance to help craft a resolution honoring Levi and possibly having his name as the official name of the skatepark. The council will delve further into that discussion in the future.

“This discussion isn’t over so reach out to me so we can talk about it further,” urged Fenerty.

The discussion ended with hugs, tears and appreciation throughout the room.