Allentown Parks Director Greg Weitzell was confirmed in February '08. Prior to that, he was executive director at Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority for seven years, starting a "destination" park.Smaller then the 19,000 sq.ft. playground planned in A-town, it attracts 1,000 visitors per day on weekends. But guess what? "[P]ark officials still face years of hard work to maintain the facilities and natural environment. "
So what provisions have been made for maintenance in Allentown? None. According to Pawlowski, the "investment in the park will promote increased appreciation and stewardship." Alrighty then. Basically, he just serves up a big bullshit burger.
In addition to failing to provide for maintenance, neither Weitzell nor Pawlowski has considered that a playground of that size, designed as it is for differently-abled children, will require supervision, too.
From the dirty dozen, here's a few facts about municipal playgrounds:
* In the time it takes you to read this post, a child will be severely injured and admitted to an emergency room as a result of a playground-related accident.
* Every year, over 170,000 children are injured at municipal playgrounds.
* Approximately twenty children die each year from playground-related injuries.
* Over 40% of all playground injuries are the result of unsupervised activity.
* Inadequate maintenance of playground equipment, especially when damage is caused by the corrosion or rot that is common in a wet environment, will result in additional injury.
A 19,000 sq. ft. playground for differently abled children, with no provision for maintenance or supervision, is negligence per se.
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ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteCould you please delete that post.
Tragically, some years ago in Allentown a young child was severely injured at one of the city's playgrounds. Injuries are not as far-fetched as Pawlowski
ReplyDeletewould like residents to believe.
Kids could get hurt on a playground. Reason that the mayor is a jerk. Alrighty then.
ReplyDeleteOh, what Allentown park is pictured today on your blog? Or is this another lie?
Yea, we'd like to know where this photo is from.
ReplyDeleteJust a few observations:
ReplyDeleteThe article you linked stated that the 1000 weekend visitors are to the park, which includes the playground as well as other attractions.
Also worth noting, the city does have active supervision at almost all of its bigger playgrounds during the summer season. It seems logical that if this playground is built, it will be included in the summer playground program.
For the record, when I was a child, I took a bad spill off a jungle gym during recess, in a highly supervised environment at my elementary school. At least 4 teachers, plus another half dozen playground monitors watched as I took a nose dive off the side and wound up with more than one broken bone.
With or without supervision, children get injured at playgrounds, its a simple fact of life. I imagine they also get injured playing little league sports, skateboarding in their driveways, riding their bicycles (I also had a shattered ankle thanks to a roller skating injury, I guess I just dated myself - oops). But I wouldn't trade in a single day of playing in order to take back those very painful broken bones.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteJust a few observations:
For the record, when I was a child, I took a bad spill off a jungle gym during recess, in a highly supervised environment at my elementary school. At least 4 teachers, plus another half dozen playground monitors watched as I took a nose dive off the side and wound up with more than one broken bone.
...yes, but I am willing to bet that this was back in that innocent era before lawyers got involved with every aspect of our daily lives. We live in a society where no one is responsible for their own safety. Any accident is turned into a lawsuit. Read between the lines here... the anti-playground folks object to size and scope. From where I stand, it appears to be much more playground than Allentown has a capacity for maintaining. Why not divy up this money and spend it on neighborhood paly areas. Either build ones where there are none or improve substandard ones. A destination playground looks good on paper, but what about maintenance, supervision, lawsuits?
As they say, in Allentown, it looks like the motto is "Ready? Fire....Aim"
VOR
This is not recess at your typical school.
ReplyDeleteThese are disabled children many from families already highly sensitive to fighting for their children's rights.
Make a mistake at the play ground and as the saying goes - "See you in court".
Then is then and now is now. Times have changed.
A responsible public servant would plan for as many eventualities as possible.
The same people who are complaining about the danger of this playground also seem to be fine suggesting that it be relocated to downtown Allentown. Just another case of "Not in my neighborhood."
ReplyDeleteI've never been so disappointed in both the city for their seemingly deliberate misinformation campaign (which thankfully has backfired on them), and in the neighbors and residents for persisting with this snobbery.
And all of this for a playground? Playgrounds increase the sense of community in a neighborhood, increase property values, and are healthy for children and their families. And yet, given how poorly the administration has communicated this plan and involved the neighborhood, I do understand the anger. Just all around, disappointing.
Anon 7:50: Please don't interfere with the O'Hare vision by interjecting realty.
ReplyDeleteVOR: Based upon your "reasoning" we should let the risk analysts forbid ANY activity on municipal property. That way NO ONE would ever get sued.
I was talking to two people who don't read this blog about the playground. The woman's first reaction was exactly this: "I would never let my child play in a playground with hundreds of other children. What an unsafe environment." On a totally different note, the other person was "Latino" and of "inner city" background and made the interesting comment that "Leave it to you gringos to sink that much money into something that can only be enjoyed during the few warm months of the year that PA offers instead of something that can be enjoyed year-round. Just another perspective...
ReplyDelete"The same people who are complaining about the danger of this playground also seem to be fine suggesting that it be relocated to downtown Allentown. Just another case of "Not in my neighborhood."
ReplyDeleteFalse. The people who oppose a 19,000 sq. ft. playground w/ no supervision or maintenance, oppose it no matter where it would be placed. Those people have suggested that ALL city playgrounds be made handicapped friendly.
I agree the city has provided disinformation, but this summary of opposition is similiarly misinformed.
"The article you linked stated that the 1000 weekend visitors are to the park, which includes the playground as well as other attractions."
ReplyDeleteSo does Cedar Beach. There isa pool, basketball courts, volleyball, etc., similar to the attractions at lewisburg.
"Also worth noting, the city does have active supervision at almost all of its bigger playgrounds during the summer season. It seems logical that if this playground is built, it will be included in the summer playground program."
This is worth noting, but needs to be clear. The mayor speciafically states, in the appendix to his undated letter, that he will NOT be adding anything to the city's budget for supervision and maintenance. He actually argues thatr when people look at how pretty it is, there won't be any need. The city "investment in the park will promote increased appreciation and stewarship."
I'm sorry, but that is completely irresponsible. Pawlowqski has refused to fund for police officers that would provide for public safety w/in the city. So it's no surprise to me that he would have such disregard for the city's children.
"Pawlowski refuses.." Blah Blah Blah.
ReplyDeleteAnd on what day in the future are you going to write a public apology to all the victims of your legal malfeasance? going on three decades soon.
Not holding my breath, glad your victims aren't.
It's starting to look like this site should be called Allentown Ramblings!!!!!! There is news other than Allentown, holy christ! Hey Bernie.... What, no comment on Chief Sinclair bailing out on the borough and taking his $140,000+ that he made over the last two years without ever living here? Maybe you can't make a comment because you lips a still stuck to his butt.
ReplyDeleteAnon 10:36, Chief Sinclair was a good cop who professionalized Nazareth's PD and earned every penny of his salary. It was sad to see him go. He ended the days where the inmates run the asylum, and I hope that does not return.
ReplyDelete10:35 - Oh, man! Don't blame Sinclair if you think you got shafted. Talk to your council, who gave him the deal in the first place. He didn't put a gun to their heads.
ReplyDeleteThe man did his job a hell of a lot better than his predecessor, and got paid. That's what a job is. You work, produce results and you get paid according to the terms your employer agreed to. He didn't promise to stay forever and become a Moravian.
Sinclair isn't the only guy out there. Move on. Find another chief, and ask your council to be a little more demanding this time around.
Nazzy officials are big boys and girls who should have (and may well have) known exactly what they were getting with a commuter chief. He cleared dead wood and professionalized greatly, but I don't think anyone was betting on him staying long.
ReplyDelete