Johnson
Reeves Playground
By Albert B. Kelly
I’m not sure how many
people remember playing at Johnson Reeves Playground on East Avenue, but it
seems like any time I mention it, people have fond memories of playing there
during their formative years. I know I have some fond memories of the place as
do many others.
When I think of that
playground when I was growing up, it’s always in summer. We would arrive
mid-morning and most of the time though not always, we would end up organizing
a ball game. We would play until it was time to head home for lunch. We would
wolf down our food and then head back to the playground until dinner.
The daylight was always
long in the summers of my memory, but it never seemed too hot. We had the
baseball field and I have memories of more than a few kids smacking a homerun
over the fence and landing somewhere on York Street.
While not that far away,
the field seemed a lot bigger to us then and what served as right field seemed
like a mammoth blast if you could clear the fence. That’s why everyone wanted
to hit as a lefty, the other side was out of reach.
I also recall the long
slide that seemed like it came down from the tree tops. I imagine you couldn’t
have a slide like that today; too many rules and regulations and safety
concerns. We also played kickball and in the clubhouse we played pick-up sticks
and jacks and you need some years behind you to remember those games.
Unfortunately over many
years; budget cuts and short staffing meant less attention and fewer resources available
for sites like Johnson Reeves. Throw in a little vandalism and some graffiti,
and the focus becomes boarding the place and keeping the grass at a manageable
height. This became the new normal.
But now it’s time for a
new generation of children to build their own memories of Johnson Reeves
Playground. It won’t necessarily be on a baseball diamond or an extra-long
slide, but it will be playing basketball and soccer and new playground
equipment.
A new life is only
possible because of volunteers, the nonprofit sector, corporate donors, and determined
City staff. That’s why I’m thankful for area nonprofit Revive South Jersey
(RSJ) who, in addition to providing labor and volunteers, secured a $15,000
grant for playground equipment from KaBoom.
RSJ also coordinated with
Lowes of Millville who provided roofing materials and a team of employees who
volunteered to help with the work. Local contractor R & S Construction
donated some materials and labor for restoring the clubhouse structure at the
playground.
Support came from business
and private interests as well including; Century Savings Bank, Susquehanna
Bank, Bethany Grace Church, Cumberland Dairy, Whibco, Bridgeton Rotary, Greater
Bridgeton Chamber of Commerce, Crestwood
Midstream Partners, and Helmer, Conley, & Kasselman.
Support in terms of
on-site volunteer labor came from Ranch Hope and the Pascale Sykes funded
collaborative “Unidos para la Familia”.
Ultimately, the project
had the benefit of leadership from our Recreation Department and the
Development & Planning Office. Our Public Works Department did a great job
handling installation of basketball and soccer equipment.
But the real thing and the
main desire is to return the park to the families in the nearby neighborhoods-
especially for the younger children- so parents know they have a safe and fun
place close to home to take their children for play.
In the end, like most
everything, it’s a community resource and it belongs to the community. And
while the neighborhood has turned over many times since the days when I tried
to hit home runs onto York Street, the need for decent neighborhood playgrounds
hasn’t changed. It might be a small step in the work of revitalization, but
it’s an important one.
How well or poorly the new
playground fares in the seasons to come will largely be in the hands of the
families who live in the surrounding neighborhood. With the help of our
nonprofit partners, we hope to have some programs and structured activities for
the children, but we also want and need the neighborhood to make Johnson Reeves
their own space.
If you have fond memories
of Johnson Reeves Playground, or even if you don’t, we hope you will consider
joining us on August 20th (Thursday) between 4:00pm and 6:00pm as we
kick things off on a new era for Johnson Reeves Playground.