Playground not open for kids

[kim]

I just read this article www.uticaod.com/homepage/x1925669551 about how the playground at Hart's Hill isn't open to the kids, but the public can go play on it all they want. Weird! The kids can't play on it during school hours but they can after school. If it's that unsafe, why not just close it completely?

I wonder what, exactly, is wrong. It said the equipment was splintered and unsafe, but exactly how is it unsafe? Yeah, if it's splintered that could hurt, but why close down everything? Is everything like that? And, if so, why wasn't the stuff maintained properly? Of course wooden playgrounds will splinter if not properly maintained. Seems like a waste of money if they didn't maintain it properly. It'd be like me never changing the oil in my car and expecting it to keep running.

Does anyone know what kind of slides, if any, that playground has? I know the one in Clinton has metal slides, and I LOVE metal slides! They're hard to find on playgrounds anymore as people seem to think they're unsafe. My son can't use plastic slides because of the static, so metal slides are our friends! Actually, he can use plastic slides, but if he does he can't hear and that's no fun, so he usually just doesn't slide, unless it's a metal slide.

[Clipper]

I remember the wonderful work that went into creating the playground, and the volunteers that made it possible. It is a shame that the place has not been maintained. I would think that some wood sealer, and a few hours with a power sander and a draw shave could repair any splinter problems.

The schools outlawing it's use during school, by students is rather funny. The school is the one that should be ramrodding a project to fix the problem. They are the "landlords" and have a really large maintenance department with all the neccessary assets to fix it.

Maybe the school nurse just has a hard time picking splinters from small behinds with her bifocals, haha. Maybe teachers will have to be equipped with a tweezers in a belt holster, and some antibiotic ointment and bandaids.

My goodness, they cannot just simply condemn and tear down such a great playground. It had to cost a pile of money to build it, and there has to be a remedy to repair the problem.

[losjibaros]

every time i took my boys there it was slivers and bee stings and twisted ankles... a fine place to build character if i ever saw one.

on the weekends when the place is thumping.. not ten min. would go by without the sounds of a kid screaming in pain...

that park requires parental supervision.. not playground monitoring...

[kim]

They should certainly do something about the slivers, but the twisted ankles aren't really the fault of the school. And the bee stings...they should get rid of nests that are on the equipment, but if it's just a random bee....eh, it happens. I remember the first time my son got stung by a bee. we were at the dentist and there was a bee on a car in the parking lot. He tried to pick it up. OUCH! Poor kid.

Speaking of my kid, I have to get ready to jump on my bike and pedal up to the school to pick him up! It's almost time for dismissal! And there is no school tomorrow...teacher workday! He gets a 3 day weekend!

[losjibaros]

bee's like treated lumber for nests.. that and every corn syrup drink left open on a warm summers day draws them from miles around...

nothing you can do about slivers with wood except learn a lesson from sliding your hand on it.

[jduges]

I agree with Los J....it's a great playground but nothing 2 or 3 lunch monitors could safely manage 50-100 kids on.

I have a tough time keeping tabs on my four year old up there. And the boy (soon to be 12) always seems to get hurt.

I know parts of the playground are breaking down. Tire ladder, rocking bridge, etc. Some parts have even been boarded up to prevent use but kids just hop right over it and keep on going.

It's just too bad that playground isn't located on Flagg st instead of at a school.

[kim]

I have a question...have you guys ever been to the Clinton playground? I haven't been to the Hart's Hill one, but I'm thinking they're similar. The one in Clinton is great...I bring my son there whenever we're in town. It's pretty big and there are a lot of places for kids to hide in. I wonder how many monitors they have out during recess.

My son's school is brand new and the playground is just one of those generic, fairly small playgrounds. They don't even have swings. They do however, have a fire pole, which he loves to slide down.

[countrygal]

Now the Superintendent is saying that it can't accomodate a large number of students at one time. Isn't that a huge playground? I was believing the part about it not being in good condition. but it's starting to sound a little fishy to me now.

[onjeesun]

My wife told me the playground wasn't open when I nudged her this morning around 7.

I didn't know what she was referring to.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[neveramazed]

Hahaha, onjeesun thanks for making me laugh. I gave you some karma for that one!

[frankcor]

LOL, me too.