by Rick Pezzullo
The sticktuitiveness of a group of Tarrytown residents interested in safety improvements at Patriots Park appears to be paying off.
A few years ago, a petition drive, spearheaded by Mary Westerfield and Karen Kuhn, resulted in 160 residents calling for the village to repair splintered railroad ties, install a gate on a fence along Broadway and place a fence near the playground to prevent children from falling on the basketball court.
“Several parents don’t go to the park because they don’t feel safe,” said Mistrella Murphy, daughter of Westerfield, whose three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son often go to the playground with their grandmother. “It’s the safety of the kids. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
Village Administrator Michael Blau recently met some concerned parents at Patriot’s Park and saw first-hand the safety deficiencies that exist.
“The parents have been very diligent in watching their children (at the park),” Blau said when asked if any injuries had been reported to the village. “The (village) board is very supportive of maintaining their parks. They need to know the numbers. We want to get this done as soon as possible.”
Blau said Tarrytown had already received a $33,000 Community Development Block Grant to upgrade the playground equipment at Patriot’s Park. The village has an additional $5,000 for the park but estimated it could cost $20,000 to make all the improvements requested.
“Right now we’re pricing out all the improvements that they asked for. It’s an expense that was not budgeted,” Blau said. “It’s kind of a belt and suspender-type of situation.”
Murphy said she was encouraged by the apparent progress being made.
“There has been correspondence before but no action,” she said. “Patriot’s Park is obviously a good part of the community.”
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