UPDATE: From Mayor Finch
The sounds of salsa filled the air at Washington Park today as Mayor Bill Finch joined hundreds of East Side residents to kick off a citywide, summer-long celebration of the City’s parks and green spaces dubbed “Park City Celebration.”
“Our parks are the backbone of the City, and they’re the reason for our nickname–Park City. For the past two years, we’ve been cleaning up, sprucing up and enhancing our parks,” said Mayor Finch. “These green spaces are treasures that belong to all of us.”
Mayor Finch was joined by City Council representatives Lydia Martinez, Manuel Ayala and John Olson, State Sen. Andres Ayala, and Director of Public Facilities Charles Carroll in cutting the ribbon at the newly installed splash pad.
Washington Park, which was created by P.T. Barnum in 1851, has undergone extensive renovations during the past 18 months since the 2010 tornado uprooted dozens of trees and damaged the park’s iconic gazebo. Nearly $300,000 in state funding has been spent to repair and paint the historic gazebo, install a rose garden and entryway on the Noble Avenue side of the park, install a splash pad, upgrade the bathroom facilities and renovate the basketball courts.
Seven other events are planned throughout June, July and August at City parks including the new Knowlton Park, St. Mary’s by the Sea, McLevy Green, Seaside Park, Newfield Park, Veterans/Puglio Park, and Bearsdley Park.
Saturday’s celebration included a Wiffleball clinic staffed by City Parks and Recreation staff, a basketball mini-tourney, refreshments and music provided by Orquesta Afinke, a Bridgeport-based Latin band.
“Park City Celebration will highlight the work we’ve done to upgrade and enhance our parks, and it’s my hope that by inviting everyone in the City to take part that we can encourage residents to take pride in their parks and their neighborhoods,” said Mayor Finch. During the past 18 months, the City has installed new lighting in several parks, planted hundreds of trees and beach grass, constructed splash pads, repaired or replaced sidewalks and roadways in Seaside Park damaged in coastal storms, constructed pavilions and barbecue sheds as part of the Mayor’s Bridgeport@Work initiative.
Part of the City’s waterfront recapture initiative, the new Knowlton Park bordering the Pequonnock River was begun in spring 2011 using acreage donated to the City by the owners of the former Acme Shear Co., located across the street. The completion of Phase 1 of the new Knowlton Street Park will be celebrated during an event on June 9 at 12 noon, which will coincide with the monthly Bridgeport Bazaar and General Market sponsored by Gallery 305K. Knowlton Park comprises five acres.
The City of Bridgeport is home to 46 parks–the largest is Seaside Park at 325 acres, which, along with Beardsley Park, was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
Park City Celebration continues with the following events:
Knowlton Park, June 9 at 12 Noon – Ribbon cutting for Phase 1; Bridgeport Bazaar and General Market
St. Mary’s by the Sea, June 24, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – activities to be announced
McLevy Green, July 7, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. – 3rd Annual Bridgeport Arts Fest
Seaside Park, July 12, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. – Senior Walk and Fitness Classes
Newfield Park, July 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Fishing Derby, Fish Fry, Horseshoe Tourney and Cricket
Veterans/Puglio Park, Aug. 11, 10 a.m. to 12 noon – Disc Golf tournament/workshop
Beardsley Park, Aug. 18, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Softball tourney and relay races
More information about “Park City Celebration” can be found by logging on to www.parkcitycelebration.com.
Wait! Let me get my bike!
Actually, if more substantive work were done to mend, repair and renew the City for her citizens, this celebration would have some relevance,
The Finch/Wood administration doesn’t want to do the right thing by everyone living here. Maybe next it will be Tax-City Celebration.
It wasn’t the storm that damaged Washington Park … it was neglect … and now we have a new Park in a industrial area that is not accessible to persons who can make use of this area … Knowlton Park. A highly truck-trafficked route that would be dangerous for foot traffic for youngins and it overlooks construction yards across the waterways … “What a View” … “What a Shame” … Wake up Mayor, will you send your children there to be put in jeopardy?
Bridgeport was ignored by Malloy’s tourism video.
Well said, Pat.
A storm named NEGLECT is what caused the damage to Washington Park.
What is a splash pad? What age groups do they serve? What do they cost to purchase and install? What is their operating expense, ongoing maintenance demands? Operating lifetime? How many are operating currently? Planned and funded but not initiated?
AmyMarie V-P’s comments at the B&A meeting last Monday evening were welcome to my ear. They had to do with maintenance and its expense on much of the work we have contemplated in Planning, Authorizing and Bonding for the City. She spoke about median dividers and certain other City-owned property that currently presents less than a proud appearance and we are rushing forward to spend additional funds without a plan for handling the necessary upkeep and maintenance, the everyday work that makes an initial investment a wise investment in the long term. What other Council member has the awareness and courage to speak up and call attention to this? Perhaps the questions I ask above about “splash pads” ought to be standard background material for every Capital development plan before authorization occurs? Wouldn’t that be different? Operation costs are part of the General budget, not hidden in 20-year bonding. Time will tell.
*** Fixing or adding to and maintaining Bpt’s current existing parks is the way to go, no? Not creating new neighborhood hangouts that will not be maintained and turn out to be crime havens in the future! Where’s the money coming from for things like park security, service and maint. of these potential neighborhood alcohol-drinking, herb-smoking, drug-selling and panhandling mini-water parks? Talk about political smoke & mirrors tax money spending! *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
That sign the way it stands there is an inappropriate architectural statement that defaces the historic character of this park. I would like to know if the Historic Commission approved this statement. Does the Historic Commission even meet any more? Has Finch co-opted that body also?