Riverhead skate park renamed in honor of late Baiting Hollow skateboarder

When he was 14, Wesley Ackley, who died of a rare cancer, argued against proposed fee increase for nonresidents at the park that now bears his name.

News 12 Staff

May 22, 2023, 2:58 AM

Updated 432 days ago

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The life of a late and beloved skateboarder was celebrated on Sunday with a renaming of a Riverhead skate park in his name.
Wesley Ackley, of Baiting Hollow, died in January after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
The Stotzky Park Skate Park was renamed after the 27-year-old and in honor of his legacy and commitment to the community.
"I think that the message he would want shared with all of us today is to live life to the fullest and leave a positive mark wherever you can," said his father, Shawn Ackley.
When Wesley Ackley was 14, he wrote a letter to the town board arguing against a proposed increase in fees at the skate park for nonresidents.
The fees were later eliminated to allow more kids at the park. Now, that very same park that he fought for is named after him.


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