A PLACE FOR THE KID IN US ALL!

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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