A PLACE FOR THE KID IN US ALL!
Written by: Colin Bruce Munro Wood – 06/18/2016 – 7:16PM ET
Sledding down the hill, I felt a rush of
adrenaline pump through my veins. The
cold air chafing against my face made no difference. I could only concentrate on keeping myself
from crashing, embarrassingly on my way down, while everyone stood at the
bottom waiting for the smashing moment! I could make it. I knew I could! I hit the top of the drop off
at the bottom of the hill and weeeeeeeee. I was mid-air, sled went one way, I
went straight, into the snow, and slid head first into the side of the
apartment building….
Ahhhhh, the memories of childhood. So, where does an adult go these days in the
Southern Tier for childlike fun?
Commonly, it has been Otsiningo Park for the past 15 years. But, something new and exciting has come to
Binghamton, NY. A commonplace for youth
and adults alike, dreamt up by a woman with a goal, and a drive to create
something this city has never seen. A
dream that Jen O’Brien has been working on for the past 6 years in the
making. Together with a list of names,
that will be mentioned later in this article, Jen put together a place where
anyone and everyone can find fun, comfort, excitement, and new friendships!
Our Space Park at Recreation Park on the west
side of Binghamton, NY, is a newly established place of fun, fantasy, and
multiple recreational activities, for children, adults, and especially the
handicapped.
Upon taking my 8-year-old son to check out Our
Space, a place we had heard so much about through the great socializer Facebook,
I was instantly mesmerized by the size and intricacy of the park. I took photos, and video, and watched as at
least a hundred children and adults shared the huge space together, and
seemingly, regardless of race, economical standing, or type of person, everyone
was getting along. Everyone was having fun, smiling and laughing. More importantly, as Jen O’Brien pointed out
to me, only a couple people had their phones in their hands. It was as if we had gone back in time, and
being social and a community was once again a beautiful thing, just as the days
of community swimming pools, and the pre-computer age.
Major Donors
Ahearn Foundation
Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo
Betsy Koffman
Binghamton Restaurant Week
Binghamton University School of Management PwC
Scholars
Broome Leadership Institute Class of
2015
Memorial Funds
NYS Parks & Recreation Environmental Protection Fund
The G. Clifford & Florence B. Decker Foundation
Visions Federal Credit Union
Wendy’s Walk for Kid’s
In-Kind Donations/Support
RO Allen & Sons Trailer Rental
Belknap Lumber
The Belmar
The Carosella Family
The Lost Dog
Nick Corcoran, PLA
Northeastern Striping Corp
Paul Koerts Surveying
RedBarn Technology Group
Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
Special Thanks To:
William Barber, Commissioner of City Parks & Recreation
Play By Design, LLC Design & Build
Dominic Cerretani, Construction Engineering
Supervision
Jen O’Brien, Community Project Coordinator
The Community Foundation for South Central New
York
Life Is Washable, Inc.
These are the folks, and businesses also responsible for making Our Space
happen at Recreation Park.
Jen O’Brien stated, “It's been very interesting seeing the responses from
folks. We really focused on making it a multi-generational
environment. From the ramps, handrails and even color scheme. We
wanted it to invite all ages and abilities to engage together. One of the
greatest outcomes is seeing the diversity of smiles and laughter. A group
of kids were "counting continents" the other day as there were folks
from, Japan, Greece, Ethiopia, Ukraine, China, Australia, California, Canada,
Florida, United Kingdom Belgium and South America all there. The common
language was laughter and the dialects were in smiles. When Building a
special needs playground, I focused on the diversity of needs, this impromptu
child's observation really opened my eyes about how cool our community really
is.”
Directly from Jen O’Brien, is the following description of the park. [At nearly 4 acres, Our Space at Recreation
Park is thought to be the largest fully accessible, multi-generational
playground in the State of New York and at least a 300-mile radius.
The idea for this play space began as a collaboration between Binghamton
University students wanting to help their community and Life Is Washable, Inc.,
a local nonprofit that provides creative programming for special needs
individuals and families. Staff at Life Is Washable Inc. and other area
agencies had witnessed the frustrations that special needs children and their
families face when forced to sit on the sidelines of traditional playgrounds.
The idea quickly grew into a community-wide initiative, stewarded by the
Mayor's office and Mr. Bill Barber, commissioner of the City of Binghamton Parks
& Recreation Department.
Among the many inspirations behind the idea is Mather Ling, a 99-year-oldwith
spina bifida. Mather is confined to a wheelchair helped to design the
park to be a welcoming place for kids like him. In the past, his family
routinely drove hundreds of miles to find safe, accessible places for him to
play. With this opening, the drive is mere minutes from home.
While community planning started in 2013 on the playground and
"Spaces" (Phase II). Binghamton University School of Management
PWC Scholars and Visions Federal Credit Union spearheaded "Phase I",
working on updating the ball fields with new fencing and a retro scoreboard.
In December of 2014, the Our Space at Recreation Park project was awarded a
$500,000 grant from the Regional Economic Development Council and Governor
Cuomo through the Environmental Protection Fund to create a play space, accessible
to people of all abilities, within the beloved historic park in
Binghamton. Construction planning began in earnest in January of 2015
with the City of Binghamton's Parks & Recreation Project.
Work on the play spaces broke ground in March of this year (2016), and the
community build started on April 18th. Building Our Space took a combined &
collaborative effort between the City of Binghamton Parks Department and our
community. Over 540 volunteers, including youth and adults with special needs,
Habitat for Humanity, BU Student Athletes, fraternities, sororities and service
groups worked alongside community members bringing a total of 5,200 hours to
help build the playground, their time valued at $106,500.
Local businesses contributed over $70,000 in in-kind donations, and the local
community raised over $140,000 in additional funds for the Our Space Fund. The
thousands of dollars raised and years of commitment from community volunteers
culminated in the grand opening of the play space within historic Recreation
Park on June 7th. The project's total cost including the in-kind donations and
time is valued close to $900,000.
This remarkable project was designed by Play by Design from Ithaca, NY. A
flowing smooth surface pathway welcomes visitors, including those with mobility
impairments. The ramps and playground equipment are perfect for all generations
to explore. This playground expands the concept of play to beyond the
boundaries of ability and age. The Playground equipment is designed to be accessible
to all children and adults, including those in wheelchairs or with other
mobility impairments. The design also includes elements that support
individuals with sensory needs.
The project also focused on being environmentally friendly. The playground's
beams a decking recycled over 875,000 plastic bottles, and the smooth rubber
surface is playground safe recycled tires. The single tree that had to be
removed due to poor health, returned to the park as a beautifully carved
"Buddy Bench"
Just after opening, the project is welcoming hundreds of visitors a day. Where
there was once a small inaccessible playground, there's now a diverse community
playing alongside each other- and all were able.
The playground that captures the local architecture and history including the
Lackawanna Train Station, includes a "Generations" swing where adults
can swing with their children, a wheelchair accessible Liberty Swing,
accessible merry go round, beautiful instruments, and a unique natural play
area with a rock climbing wall and slide. The play doesn't end on the
playground; the project also includes an accessible sensory garden with raised
flower beds, seating, game tables, an accessible tree house and a small
amphitheater.
"As the project's "constant companion" it has been my honor to
work with such a diverse and talented community to see this dream come true for
so many special needs individuals and their families." (Jen O'Brien, Our
Space Park Project Coordinator)
Our Space is nestled in the historic 24-acre Recreation Park in Binghamton, New
York, which also features an antique carousel, pool, accessible bathrooms,
accessible ball fields, and tennis courts with easy parking. The park is open
to the during daylight hours and is free to the public.] (Jen O’Brien, Our
Space Park, 06/16/2016)
What I especially loves seeing, were all the children mixing together, and
completely enjoying each other’s company regardless of race, or societal
standing. What I saw, is hopefully our
future here in Binghamton, and on the Earth.
A global unity, that breaks down barriers, and dispels hatred, and
bigotry. There were gay couples,
straight couples, children and adults of all ages, enjoying all aspects of the
park. All smiles, and camaraderie I haven’t seen in a long time. Even at Otsiningo Park, over the years, I’ve
watched families keep to themselves, and even shoo their kids away from other
kids. None of that occurred at Our
Space. It is a park that nurtures
friendships, and conversations, and joy!
I watched as young man in a wheel chair, may have been enjoying his
first swing ride, on the newly established wheelchair swing, gated and locked
to keep the kids from ruining it.
Unfortunately, the park has already seen its first threat of vandalism, with
the gate to that swing being damaged by older teenagers at night. However, the volunteers helping out at this park,
jumped on it the next day, and I watched them work diligently to have it fixed
that day!
There were volunteers present, park rangers watching over the public, and
sweepers keeping the sidewalks clean.
I felt like a kid there, walking around and trying as many aspects of the
park that an adult can enjoy. My son was
blown away by the scale of the place, but more than that, I watched as he enjoyed
time with new faces, and happy children.
Our Space is here to stay, and will hopefully encourage more outdoor
activity, rather than sitting in front of a tv, a computer or gaming screen.
Bravo to the ladies and gentleman involved in the creation of this dream,
and if you are an adult, allow yourself to return to those memories of your
childhood, and never let go of that innocent spirited side of your being.
Wood News Agency, LLC Binghamton,
NY
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