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Skate-park memorial ramp made with slain man’s ashes poses problem for the city

Posted at 12:33 PM, Jul 04, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-04 14:33:10-04

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    Albuquerqu, NM (KOAT) — A homemade skate ramp built in honor of a man shot and killed at a Albuquerque skate park is now blocked off. Cody Raver was shot and killed at Los Altos skate park in April. His friends wanted to make sure he was never forgotten, so they set up several memorials around the park, even a mural with his name. Most recently, on June 13, they built a ramp in his honor. They even mixed some of Raver’s ashes in with the cement.

“In this case, city rules are that nothing should be constructed on city property without prior authorization,” said director of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Dave Simon.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department said the ramp was built without their knowledge.

“When there is a desire to do something at a park, we just want the public to reach out and communicate with us,” Simon said.

The city temporarily blocked off access to the memorial until they can assess it for safety and structural integrity.

“The bigger picture, we want to determine the best way to commemorate Mr. Ravers’ life and his association with Los Altos as a skater,” Simon said.

Raver’s parents told KOAT they appreciate the love everyone has shown for their son and they plan to contact the city to see what will come next for the memorial ramp.

Parks and Rec leaders said there is a memorial tree and bench plaque program for Albuquerque parks. They also said they won’t know the future of the memorial ramp until after the assessment is done.

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