Originally published October 16, Akron Beacon Journal
by Anthony Thompson
The shoveling of snow, biting chill of winter and melodies of Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" wafting from homes and car stereos may be mere weeks away, but there is still ample opportunity for Akron's youth to enjoy the outdoors and tumble through the autumn leaves.
Children in East Akron will soon have another reason to play outside, thanks to help from organizations and individuals who have pledged to provide safe spaces for kids while investing in communities of color.
The city of Akron, Akron Parks Collaborative, Great Streets Akron, apparel retailer Sierra, Kaboom! and the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. (EANDC) will soon complete a months-long collaboration culminating in a new kid-designed playground at Talbot/Whitney Park.
"The East Akron neighborhood hasn't historically experienced the same amount of investment into the community as some other areas of Akron, and it was amazing to see the synergy between the city, elected officials, community members and these different non-profits to rebuild this neighborhood staple," said Mark Greer, small business program manager for the city's Office of Integrated Development.
Plans for the renovation of the playground area at Talbot/Whitney Park had been in motion for months, ever since Greer, who was taking a stroll through the East Akron neighborhood last winter, noticed the park and soon began advocating for its renovation.
"Kaboom! had recently begun plans for renovating the playground at Joy Park earlier this year, and we eventually were able to advocate for the renovation of Talbot/Whitney Park's playground area as well," Greer said. "It is wonderful for the community to have two parks in the same ward to receive help from such a nationally recognized company as Kaboom! and we were grateful to not only them but to Sierra as well, whose funding really helped get this project in motion."
The East Akron Neighborhood Development Corp. hosted a design day for the surrounding community in July, where families and children could submit design ideas for the new play space at Talbot/Whitney Park.
Then, from Oct. 5-7, community members, including neighbors and volunteers from Oriana House, helped build the play space. They worked on projects like assembling and installing playground equipment, loading and unloading materials, and mixing and hauling concrete. Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Mosley and Kaboom! representatives were also on hand helping.
"We have big plans for this park, which serves as a sort of neighborhood hub where the local community can gather and enjoy one another," said Cazzell Smith Jr., a community organizer at EANDC. "This park is more than just a place of recreation; the community members who came out to the design day expressed how important the park is to this neighborhood, and we are excited to be a part of this project," Smith Jr. said.
The old playground, which was originally built in the 1970s and had seen little renovation since then, was demolished the week before the community playground build. Read the full story here.