TheMondayGarden.com, Eco-gardening at its best
May 26, 2005, Issue 207-208
Why cover the building of a river-side playground by community volunteers on a site dedicated to the urban wilderness? Isn't it just another playground in another park?
May be but it is our park, and it is part of the comprehensive plan for re-development of the riverside "green space". The playground is part of the City's decision on the balancing of human and non-human uses of the riparian space and the devolvement of the surrounding neighborhoods. The desired vision seems to be happy children growing up along a sparkling river with herons, geese, ducks, and osprey, squirrels overhead, and songbirds in the bushes. Meanwhile, the adjacent lower- and middle-income housing and small businesses of the West Side get spruced-up but remain intact. (The new, "luxury" (i.e. high-income) residential development is planned to be farther north and east; and, years from now, to the south.) In other words, the same neighborhood, only better, for humans and non-humans alike, plus a world-class playground for all the children of the City to visit.
Picture: On Day 5, the skies open once again. Later, I was surprised to find out that the rainfall total for the week was "only" 3 to 4 inches. May 19, 2006.
The plan was for community volunteers to dedicate 5,000 hours in one week (three shifts working 7:30 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., May 15-21, 2006) to raise a playground from a design created by outside consultants with input from area children, using mostly donated materials. By the end of the week, somewhere over a 1000 individuals who live or work in Stamford had invested a good 8000 to 9000 hours on the site, most of it in rain and mud. The people came from the international corporations headquartered in town, the local businesses both large and small, the schools, the religion organizations, the city government, and the neighborhood, including the men's shelter. Many others contributed from off site. Indeed, special thanks goes to those unseen hands who prepared our meals. (Speaking of small, local businesses, TheMondayGarden.com didn't publish last week because I was helping in the tool shed).
Picture: At the end of the day, on Day 7, the sun breaks out for a minute over the almost finished playground. May 21, 2006
There was a major investment of community energy in the project. Everyone in town either had a part in the project or knows someone who did. The result, I think, will be that, regardless of what happens with the playground itself and the surrounding neighborhood over the years, many people who live and/or work in Stamford now have an increased personal investment in the town and will be more interested in the land use issues, including the respect with which we treat the river and its flora and fauna.
Picture: the path into the playground area from the West Main Street "Ruined" Bridge, looking south toward the playground-to-be. April 25, 2006.
Here are the pictures that record the story of this small but significant chapter in the river's history. (Unfortunately, with 1000 people on the site, there was no way to take everyone's picture, as much as I would have liked to.)
PART ONE: BEFORE THE BUILD
Picture: Site of the playground-to-be, January 2006, looking north at the West Main Street " Ruined Bridge". The popular basketball court is to be rebuilt nearby.
picture: Looking south toward Tresser Boulevard, March 2006. Clearing the site required removal of the basketball court (fortunately, during the off-season) and several trees. The trees taken down were a stand of decrepit native ash, a stand of invasive Norway maples (good riddance!) and a come-of-itself mulberry. The one valuable tree - a lovely multi-trunk silver maple, which will provide shade for at least the next generation - can be seen in the rear, right, already surrounded by protective orange fencing.
Picture: On May 4, after quitting-time, a father cardinal from the neighborhood inspects the site preparation.
Picture: May 11, checking last minute details at the site. In the foreground are the amazing Rob and Bob, the Parks Department representatives who worked for weeks on end to make the project a success. In the rear: Jeff, a City construction manager, who served tirelessly as one of the site captains, and Robin, our Land Use Bureau Chief, who did his best to be first-on and last-off the site every day, despite the grueling 14-hour schedule. All told, there were somewhere between 15 and 20 key organizers.
Picture: Also checking the site on May 11, Milt, who is the Director for the entire Mill River Project , and Myra, who ran the on-site food service for the volunteers (Thank you!). In the background, behind Rob, are two of the "cute" Bobcat mini-backhoes. Milt vied with Robin to be first-on, last-off the site.
PART 11: THE BUILD
Picture: Noon on May 15, the first day of the build. The forecast for the week is for rain.
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Pictures: Day one, volunteers surviving the rain.
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Pictures: Day one, Robin keeps smiling, volunteers on the site.
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Pictures: Day 1: Channel 12 (local TV) interview; volunteers taking advantage of an almost dry moment.
Picture: Noon on Day 2, more rain but the build goes on.
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Pictures: Day 2, Di in the "mess tent" making the documentary film; Adriana co-chair of the volunteer committee; Alissa from GE and Dave, a site caption.
Picture: Robin on Day 2, our first bit of dry weather. You have to wonder what he's thinking.
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Pictures: Some of the site captains, responsible for guiding the volunteers.
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Pictures: More Day 2 volunteers. Braxton, in the center, came with his Dad.
Picture: Day 3, noon.
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Pictures: Day 3, in the carpentry tent; law enforcement with a big camera; helping feed the crew
Picture: Day 3, Bob and Rob keep on ticking
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Pictures: Ellen, working on getting us supplies, Linda, volunteer co-chair, Myra outside the mess tent; our resident EMT who fortunately spent almost all his time helping Myra.
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Pictures: Day 3, Jeff on the site with the concrete pumpers; the latrines get pumped, too. (Thank you!); Merritt in the tool shed
Picture: Day 3, Stamford High volunteers raise a tent.
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Pictures: Day 2-3: Paul and Sylvia; Robert in the tool shed; picking up the trash.
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Pictures: Erin, a Senior City Planner and head of the tool shop struggles to keep the equipment clean and orderly despite the mud; volunteers on the site.
Picture: Day 4, Wright Tech volunteers spreading gravel.
Picture: Day 4, Wright Tech volunteers helping in the mess tent
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Pictures: Day 4, the shirts tell the story.
Picture: Day 4, Stamford's Highway Department
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Pictures: Day 4, 2 volunteer carpenters and a Bobcat operator.
Picture: Day 5, noon, more mud.
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Pictures: Day 5 volunteers
Picture: Day 7, noon.
Picture: Day 7 Ellen's children
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Pictures: Day 7: Milt and Charles; Erin and Rob being filmed by Di.
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Pictures: Day 7: finishing the job
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Picture: Day 7, getting tools: Rogers Magnet School volunteer with husband; Bob
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Picture: Day 7, more rain but some people just won't quit: Angel (math teacher), Prakash (Water Pollution Control Authority) and Leslie (USIS)
Picture: Day 7, at 7:00 PM, Sylvia (right), and 2 able carpenters rush to finish a last critical bit.
Picture: Day 7, 7:00 PM the playground isn't quite finished but we can no longer keep the kids away.
PART 11: FINISHING DETAILS AND THE OPENING
Day 8: Reviewing the punch list.
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Pictures: Erin sorts out the tools to return (Day 8); Lee and Bill from the outside consultant packing up on day 7; final carpentry, courtesy of the Board of Ed (Day 10)
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Picture: Day 13 (May 27, 2006) A very tired Sylvia, the osprey she painted on the lighthouse, her newest assistant.
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Picture: Day 13: Angel helping Sylvia; slide testers at work
Picture: Day 14: Rob and Bob setting up the amps for the opening ceremony; they even brought the the podium, the ribbon and the "gold"-plated scissors for the ribbon-cutting. The Parks Department is amazing.
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Pictures: Day 14: The opening ceremony: our mayor (Dan) speaking with a volunteer; volunteers and neighbors listening to our mayor speak; Robin and Milt get well-deserved plaques.
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Pictures: Day 14: Details from one of the fantastic tile murals created by children from the grammer and middle schools.
Pictures: Day 14: Kids discover the river at the playground's edge. Perhaps, this is a story about the river after all.
PS. Mid-summer 2006: If you look down at the river bank, just below where the human children in the last picture are standing, you'll see that other children are playing here at night.
Click here for more information on Stamford's Mill River.
Photo credits: Sue Sweeney
© Sue Sweeney 2006
Comments (1)
Sue, great job on the photos! Thank you for helping us recall all of the agony and laughs during the construction week. It was a phenomenal project and we feel privileged to have participated. We got to know our neighbors and made new friends...isn't that what it's all about?
Alissa & Peter Gray
Posted by Alissa & Peter Gray | May 27, 2006 7:04 PM
Posted on May 27, 2006 19:04