Town
of Huntington, Harborfields Central School District, Greenlawn Civic
Association Hold Ribbon Cutting
Greenlawn – Officials from the Town
of Huntington and the Harborfields Central School District were joined by
members of the Greenlawn Civic Association and residents for a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to open Harborfields Community Playground, inclusively built for
children of all physical abilities, at Pickle Park in Greenlawn on Saturday,
March 23.
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci
welcomed those in attendance, including Councilmembers Mark Cuthbertson, Eugene
Cook, Joan Cergol and Ed Smyth; Highway Superintendent Kevin S. Orelli; Deputy
Town Clerk Stacy Colamussi, representing Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia; Harborfields
School District Superintendent Dr. Francesco Ianni; School Board President
David Steinberg; Vice President Christopher Kelly; and Trustees Steven
Engelmann, Hansen Lee, Suzie Lustig, Joseph C. Savaglio, and Colleen Wolcott;
Greenlawn Civic Association President Dick Holmes; Vice President Jane Irving;
Parks & Preservation Committee Chair Kevin Smith; and Civic Association
members; as well as Harborfields Public Library Director Carol Albano.
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci and
members of the Town Board, including Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, who helped
draft the agreement between the Town and the School District and sponsored the
2017 Town Board resolution enabling the partnership, commended the School
District for working
with the Town and the Civic Association to enter into the agreement to host the
inclusive playground with the Town, where children of all physical abilities
will play side-by-side, learning to be inclusive and appreciate people’s
differences.
Lupinacci, Cuthbertson, and
Councilmembers Cook, Cergol and Smyth all praised the School District, and
specifically Board Trustee Colleen Wolcott for her role in advancing the
concept of an inclusive, handicap-accessible playground, and the Greenlawn Civic
Association for advocating for an inclusive playground at this location for
over twenty years.
Harborfields Central School District
Superintendent Dr. Francesco Ianni and Board President David Steinberg offered
words of thanks and congratulations to the Town and the Civic Association for
their collaborative efforts.
Greenlawn Civic Association Vice
President Jane Irving and Parks & Preservation Committee Chair Kevin Smith
also spoke at the ceremony, thanking the Town and the School District for
approving the 10-year agreement to host the community playground and urging
their members and the community to support an extension of the agreement when
the current agreement expires.
Supervisor Lupinacci invited Kevin
Smith of the Greenlawn Civic Association to do the honors of performing the
ribbon-cutting. The ceremony took place in Pickle Park, behind the Harborfields
Public Library, whose management allowed the use of their community meeting
rooms for collaboration on the playground project. Library Director Carol
Albano set up a table and gave frisbees away to the children in attendance.
The Harborfields Community
Playground offers children between two and twelve years of age a diverse array
of equipment, including slides, riders, play panels, swings, and climbers.
Special inclusive elements include a cushioned, rubberized surface, accessible
swings, double-wide wheelchair ramps, a feature specifically designed for
children with sensory sensitivities, a rocking element that can accommodate
both wheelchairs and seated children, and a new accessible walkway that
connects the playground to nearby streets.
The Harborfields Community
Playground is a joint collaboration between the Town of Huntington and the
Harborfields Central School District; final construction costs totaled
$401,267.97, split between the Town and the School District, built with
significant input from the Greenlawn Civic Association. The Town of Huntington
will maintain the playground, per the agreement.
VIDEO: http://huntingtonny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1785
Photos attached of ribbon-cutting
ceremony.