Bryan Proctor Interview, August 24, 2019

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:00:04.860 --> 00:02:06.690 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Maren Orchard interviews Bryan Proctor on August 24, 2019 during Late Skate at Anacostia Park. In this clip, Bryan Proctor discusses his memories of Anacostia Park. SUBJECTS: Late Skate in Anacostia Park; Anacostia Park (Washington, D.C.); Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative; National Park Service -- Anacostia Park; Roller skating; Basketball courts; Betty Jean Dodds (1948-2018)

Alright. This is the August 24, 2019. And you have Bryan Proctor. The interviewer is Maren Orchard. And we are at the Anacostia skating park, Late Skate. Do I have your permission to record this interview?

Yes.

Do you want to start off by telling me a little bit about yourself? What brought you here tonight?

My name is Bryan Proctor. I grew up in southeast DC. I used to play ball down here. Use to come down here during the day, during the week, play basketball and roller skate, play basketball and more roller skating and... me and a group of people have a little skate club where we met certain people that came here like Betty Dodds. She used to put on the skating showcase once a year. Unfortunately, she passed away. May she rest in peace. But this skating area has changed so much over the years. When we used to skate down here back 20 years ago, there was no DJ down here. Now they have DJs down here on the weekends. We used to just skate to the music that came out of the speakers. You know, I think they had like a radio and offices up. And once upon a time the lights on the basketball court used to stay on till about 10 o'clock. Now they don't come on at all. But when they were on, when the lights were on, and the skating rink was open and the lights on, there was plenty of people down here. You know, people down here cooking out. People playing basketball. People just walking around, just coming down here to relax. I think it's something that needs to continue.

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:02:11.340 --> 00:04:16.150 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Maren Orchard interviews Bryan Proctor on August 24, 2019 during Late Skate at Anacostia Park. In this clip, Bryan Proctor discusses the closing of many skating rinks. SUBJECTS: Late Skate in Anacostia Park; Anacostia Park (Washington, D.C.); Roller skating; Alexandria Roller Rink; Temple Hills Skate Palace; Kalorama Road (National Roller Skating Rink); Atlantic roller skating rink; Fordsville, MD roller skating rink; Seabrook Skate Center

Things things in this area have changed a lot and are changing a lot. But I want the skating rink to stay the same for the community. Because when it's open, it's definitely used. They're definitely coming down here to skate. I've been skating for over 30 years. You know, I've skated at Alexandria skating rink in Virginia. I've skated at Fordsville skating rink in Maryland. I've skated at Atlantic skating rink off South Capitol Street. It used to be a movie theater. They turned into a skating rink. I've skated here. I skated at Kalorama skating rink.

A lot of things are changing, you know. They closed Alexandria. They closed Kalorama. Now we got to travel to Temple Hills or Baltimore or Seabrook to roller skate. It is very nice for people to be able to come down here and skate outside. You know, I don't skate outside anymore because I'm afraid of falling and hitting this concrete hurts. But I think what they're doing with the park is really nice.

Do you think skating is less popular now than it used to be?

No, no, skating has gotten more popular. You know. There's a lot more people skating. I mean, some of the older seasoned skaters like myself, some have faded away and stop skating. But then, the kids of the season skaters are coming out. So skating is really up and coming. It's really ... I still want to be a big fan. So I can say, at this park, they need to continue this. They need to have a DJ down here with music on the weekends... Saturday and Sunday. And also during the week during the evening.

INDEXED CLIP TIME: 00:04:17.140 --> 00:05:54.990 SEGMENT SYNOPSIS: Maren Orchard interviews Bryan Proctor on August 24, 2019 during Late Skate at Anacostia Park. In this clip, Bryan Proctor discusses activities at Anacostia Park and other DC parks. SUBJECTS: Late Skate in Anacostia Park; Anacostia Park (Washington, D.C.); Roller skating; Summer in the Park; Fort DuPont Park (Washington, D.C.); Fort Dupont Park Summer Concert Series

Are you meeting anyone here today?

No, no, no, I was I was out riding my motorcycle and every now and then I'll come through here and just see what's going on. And I just came through and I see one of the guys that I know from the skating rink DJing, you know. I just walked around and now they're supposed to have bands down here today. So they're still doing some nice stuff.

I remember when they used to have Summer in the Park further past the skating rink. You know, they had Summer in the Park here and they got Summer in the Park at Fort DuPont. It's still doing it Fort DuPont, they just don't do it here.

When they did do it here it was really nice. It was really nice and crowded and it was peaceful. It was very peaceful.

What was it like when they did do it here?

[inaudible]

The Summer in the Park had vendors and a lot of music, lot of different artists, you know, people came from all over the DMV, Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. Once again, I think that's something that they need to bring back to Anacostia Park. There's a lot more space to people to stand or people to sit and watch the show. You know, like some of the shows they have in Merriweather and Wolf Trap, you know, they can have here in Anacostia Park. You know, people will come out.

Is there anything else that you'd like to share about DC or about the park?

DC has changed a lot. Martin Luther King Avenue has changed a lot. You know, when I grew up it was Nichols Avenue. Later on it turned into Martin Luther King Avenue. It has changed a lot, you know. But with that change, I hope Anacostia Park doesn't change too much. You know, they made a lot of changes to the highways and I just hope Anacostia Park doesn't change too much. You know, I personally liked them. And now you see people skate, even though I'm not skating myself. You know. It's a it's a good thing and I think they should keep it going.

Thank you so much for sharing.

You're welcome.