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Park restoration captures public eye
(by K. Darius Amos - January 02, 2008)
Jump ropes, hopscotch, tag. Kickball, catch and board games.
There’s a laundry list of playtime activities to keep the bodies and minds of Fairmount School students stimulated, but the void created by the closing of their massive playground is still so great. Children enjoying outdoor recess are now relegated to play only in the small, asphalt courtyard behind the school at the corner of Fairmount and Grand.
Since Oct. 18, snow fencing has kept students and the entire Hackensack community away from the Fairmount playground, particularly because its large, wooden play set has fallen behind state mandated safety regulations. As a result, school officials were forced to close the 18-year-old edifice, which snakes and zigzags over a thick layer of soft wooden chips.
Commonly known to the Fairmount neighborhood as “The Structure,” the playground has once again gripped the heart of the community, similar to how it stirred interest when it was built almost two decades ago. A group of residents have started a grassroots effort with hopes of refurbishing and reopening the park.
“This is a big project and it’s going to take a lot of community help, but we’re confident we’ll get it done,” said Rob Wickersheim, a Hackensack resident who has helped spearhead a group of faculty, parents and neighbors with a common goal of fixing the playground.
Wickersheim, who lives on Fairmount Avenue just a stone’s throw away from the school and playground, knows exactly how much work is needed for the project. In fact, he and his family donated their time and effort to erect the original Structure in 1989.
“It’s definitely a community project,” he said, adding that the Hackensack community, including school children, was responsible for the Structure’s initial concept and design, along with its abstract features.
In 1989, children suggested dragons and fire trucks, and that’s what was built. The fire truck was included as a memorial to the five fire fighters that died in the 1988 blaze at Hackensack Ford, Wickersheim said.
Over time, nature’s elements and continued use — the Structure can accommodate more than 300 children at the same time — have weathered the play system’s surface. Still, it has stood the test of time.
“The Structure, for the most part, is original. A new board or other replacement part might have been needed, but it’s still the same,” Pedra Del Vechio, another volunteer, told The Chronicle last week. “It’s still in useable condition, but the state was concerned about certain things.”
Though it’s in relatively secure and enjoyable condition, the playground couldn’t keep up with changes in safety requirements that had evolved throughout New Jersey. The Structure ultimately fell behind standards that it was ordered closed last month.
“The teachers are already complaining because the kids just have no where to go,” Wickersheim said.
Somewhere to go
When it was open, the Structure wasn’t just available for play, it was a haven for the students. On one end, children have the opportunity to climb and swing. But at any given spot within the maze’s nooks and crannies, other students were found studying and reading or playing handheld video games and trading baseball picture cards.
Fairmount students flocked to the playground before and after classes, sometimes on weekends. Parents often brought their younger children to the park when school wasn’t in session, taking advantage of the park that was built by the community and for the community.
“One of the agreements was that the Board of Education donated its property for a community park that would be built and maintained by the community,” said Wickersheim, adding that the Structure had become a popular destination point for all residents, not just those living in its vicinity.
For that reason, Wickersheim is confident that Hackensack residents will again emerge and back a project geared to replace their aging park. Between 800 and 1,000 residents chipped in when the Structure was first constructed, and he hopes the second effort will draw even more.
When the park faced closure, Wickersheim and his group, which includes PTA President Stephanie Hellpap and Damian Mucaro, among others, discussed several options. Deciding against complete demolition and renovations, they found leveling they Structure and rebuilding was the most cost-effective and fair option for the community.
To build a new park, the group sought out the original architect and designer Leathers & Associates. The playground specialists have designed play systems and parks throughout the country using community input and ideas. Subcommittees were then formed, breaking responsibilities down into 12 categories, including: fundraising, public relations and volunteer coordinating, among others.
Funding, Wickersheim said, isn’t his main concern. He expects various donations from several community groups and leaders.
“I started knocking on doors, asking local businesses for help, time, construction and tools,” he said, adding that his all pleas have been met positively.
“A lot of donations come in equipment, and some bakeries have offered to donate food to the volunteers.”
At this juncture, physical help is Wickersheim’s concern. He’s confident that the hands will be available, but how many is still uncertain.
Design day
Residents on the fence about lending their hand have the opportunity to see exactly what the project entails. Fairmount School and Leathers & Associates will host Design Day, scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 13, with hopes of establishing a concept for the new park.
The students will have a direct say about what the park will include. Fairmount students will be asked to submit their ideas to the architects, who will then attempt to incorporate those images into the design. That process will take place throughout lunch periods, and much of the playground’s concept will be ready by the evening.
“That’s really what it’s all about, the community. Everything is custom made for the residents,” Del Vechio said. “In Fairmount, there is a lot of alumni and many generations still here. People are invested in this and committed.
At 6 p.m. on Design Day, the community is invited back to the school for the unveiling of the park’s new design.
In most likelihood, the playground will be leveled before the Christmas holiday, and Wickersheim hopes all funding and volunteers are ready to re-build by next year.
“We’re shooting for the spring,” said Wickersheim, who agonizingly added that students will go through a period seeing an empty courtyard behind Fairmount.
“These kids really appreciate it and they’re respectful of the playground,” he said. “They’re proud of it. It’s really there’s.”
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