The village is using a combination of taxpayer money and donations from private groups for improvements at Seamon Park and the Lions Club Playground.
At Seamon Park, the scenic, floral, sloping park on 9W on the north side of the village, the issue is a 200-foot-length of wrought iron fence facing the road. It carries years of rust from Saugerties winters, and the brutal winter of ’13-’14 was the last nail in the coffin.
“A lot of it just rusted and broke,” said George Terpening, head of Parks, Buildings and Grounds.
Terpening isn’t sure how long the fence has lined the front of the park, but said many believe it’s been there since the property was turned over to the village in 1909.
“It’s held up well over the years, but this winter was just too much for it,” Terpening added.
Village trustees put $3,000 into this year’s operating budget to help cover the cost of repairing the fence. The Seamon Park Board, which oversees operations at the park, the Friends of Seamon Park and Kiwanis Club are also donating funds to repair what can be fixed and replace what cannot.
Once fixed, the fence won’t be returning to the front of the property, Terpening said. It will be placed on a side property line, where it will be safe from salt and sand.
The second project is the Lions Club Playground. Thanks to a $10,000 donation from the eponymous Lions Club, kids who come to play at that particular playground will soon have a large new piece of equipment, with a foot of mulch surrounding it to cushion their falls. John Brink, chair of the Lions Club Playground Committee, said it would be installed in three to four weeks.
The new piece is multi-use.
“It has a number of slides on it and places to climb,” said Brink.
The Lions Club has long been a supporter of recreational activities. In the 1930s, seeing a need for a playground with a wading pool, the Lions Club paid to have one installed at what has become known as the Lions Club Playground.
About 18 years ago, when the original pool deteriorated because of age, the Lions Club stepped up and paid to have it replaced.
Fundraising efforts for new equipment at other village parks is ongoing. To date, nearly $2,000 has been raised by residents, coordinated by Heidi Brandt. Visit gofundme.com/8lzm7c to check on the progress and make a donation.
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