Now the kids are getting into the act.
After successfully hooking many neighborhood adults on the dream of a new park at Brigham Street, organizers went to P.S. 52 on July 15 to get input from the students there.
Twenty-eight 4th and 5th graders enrolled in summer school classes at the Sheepshead Bay School, located at 2675 East 29th Street, participated in a 75-minute workshop on beach ecology and basic park design while contributing their own ideas about what kind of park they wanted in their neighborhood.
“We’ve heard from lots of adults,” said Pamela Governale, the project’s design coordinator. “Now it’s time we heard from the kids in the community.”
After studying photos of the park site located off of Emmons Avenue the kids got to work drawing their “ideal park.”
Climbing walls, skate ramps and even glow-in-the-dark swings topped the kids’ wish list. Many also voiced their support for cool sprinklers and a pool.
Still others said they wanted their new park to have places to snack and sit and fish in Sheepshead Bay.
Park designer Jon Fouskaris educated the kids about the pollution problems facing nearby Plumb Beach and the ways that natural solutions might alleviate them.
Students also got their hands “wet” examining an eclectic mix of sea shells and ocean vegetation.
“This was truly an eye opener for all of us,” Community Coordinator Gene Berardelli said. “We learned a lot about what the kids like and don’t like, but we were pleasantly surprised by their creativity and eagerness.”
The public is invited to take part in the next community workshop for the Brigham Street Project at 7 p.m. on July 23 at the Golden Gate Motor Inn located at 3867 Shore Parkway.
