by Bea Peterson
The Town castle playground, behind the Ice Kreme Kafe on Main Street and next to the basketball and tennis courts is a great playground with plenty of turrets, walkways and structures to climb, plus swings and a slide. It is a terrific place for the under 12 crowd to safely play. However, it is sometimes spoiled in the late evening and night by older kids. Not too long ago one youngster came out of the structure and told her father that there were “inappropriate words” written on the walls. Town Highway Superintendent Bill Shiland admits that “there is a lot of inappropriate language” scrawled on the walls. His highway crew paints over it as quickly as possible. On occasion the playground is the sight of inappropriate encounters as well. Judging by the products left behind, the couples are practicing safe sex. Not a pleasant finding for youngsters or adults.
Shiland said that since Leo McGuire retired as pool and playground supervisor, there is no Town employee to oversee the facility. Shiland said they have experienced less vandalism in the playground leaving it unlocked all the time than they had when it was locked. “The teens just climbed over the fence to get in,” he said. It also made it harder for the police to get in and rout them out. As it is now, the police can patrol the place at any time.
The installation of video cameras in the playground has curtailed some of the activity. Shiland said one incident caught on tape is part of a current ongoing police investigation. There was talk at one time of removing some of the castle walls and replacing them with chain link fence, like the fencing that separates the playground from the pool. “The trouble is,” said Shiland, “much of the play area is attached to the walls.” He added that the castle playground structure is almost 20 years old and is really showing its age. “It’s just tired,” he said.
He also admits it is only a handful of kids causing trouble.
For the most part, the castle playground is a great place for the kids. Shiland said it is busiest in the afternoon and early evenings when families stop for an ice cream and some time on the swings. The playground is used by the little tykes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays when their older siblings are busy with peewee football practice.
Nickels Add Up
At the other end of the Village is the new gazebo in the Ward 4 playground on Kelly Street. It is a wonderful example of what a nickel can do, actually, many nickels. Since the end of phase one of the playground constructed in 2005, Peg Bakaitis, with a host of family and friends, has been collecting recyclables and bringing them to Nickel Back for redemption. Every month she collects the money and turns it over to the Village of Hoosick Falls for the playground account. “At the beginning of 2006, when the first phase of the playground was completed,” said Peg, “there was $2,200 in the account.” When the gazebo was purchased this year, there was $7,000 in the account! That’s a lot of nickels! Peg attributes the growth to “faithful donors, individuals, organizations, foundations and companies.” There have been so many who have contributed, she is afraid if she starts naming them, she will forget some, and she doesn’t want to do that.
The Ward 4 playground is special to Peg because as a kid she played in it. That was a time when all four Village wards had playgrounds. Today people she knows, and many close and distant relatives, bring their children to play in the same spot. Peg said it is a community effort. Neighbors oversee it. “Vic Stowell, who lives next to the playground often makes repairs,” Peg said. “Jim Lynch provided the swings for the little kids. Not too long ago Neil Waytkus and Rich Callahan volunteered their time to build a new stairway to the climbing pavilion. She said Hannaford donated the bike rack and Home Depot provided the two benches. The Village paved the parking area and sees that the grass is cut. The Bakaitis family donated and installed the flag pole and the trees.
“I couldn’t have done anything there without the support and help of my husband Jack and my son Patrick,” she said. “Patrick brings his heavy equipment down whenever we need grading and other work done. He has done it from the time the playground was begun.”
The new pavilion has a picnic table in it and a couple of chairs. It is a great place for parents to sit in the shade and watch their youngsters play. A few weeks ago there was a birthday party, complete with balloons and streamers, held in the shelter.
The playground also contains bigger swings, a climbing pavilion, a basketball hoop and tetherball. “It’s ideal for kids up to 12,” said Peg.
Peg believes she will continue to collect recyclables for the playground “out of habit.” She doesn’t believe the fund will grow as quickly at this point. She hopes, in the future, a Ward 4 Playground Committee will be formed again. She would like it to be similar to the one that was so instrumental in getting the playground built in the first place.