Residents assemble new playscape

WINSTED — Nearly 30 residents gathered over the weekend to assemble the new playscape at Manor Playground, located between Glendale and Oakdale avenues.

A component of the 2005 bond package, the revitalization of Manor Playground has finally begun. While a few final touches still need to be addressed, the park should be finished in the near future, said Jay Budahazy.

"Alicia Corso headed the volunteer part of it to put [the playscape] together and the company they bought it from sent one volunteer down," said Budahazy.

According to Budahazy, it would have cost an additional $8,000 to have the company assemble the playscape.

"People worked together and it was a great time," he said. "It goes to show you what can be accomplished in the town. This is a very nice playground project. We still have some work to do on it, but it will be completed in the pretty near future."

Final touches on the project include backfilling dirt where the cement pillars sit and mulching the playground to create a softer area for children to run and play.

"This is really a nice thing that everyone did for the community," said Budahazy.

For those who missed the assembly but are interested in witnessing the town’s cooperative efforts, Budahazy’s film of the construction will air on Sunday, April 27, at 8 p.m. on Charter 13. During that time, additional footage will be shown of three other events that took place recently, including the start of the East End Park project, a cleanup at Highland Lake and a safety course at the Town Hall led by Officer Robert Varisconi.

In addition to the playscape, the 2005 bond package included renovations to the maintenance building at Walker Field, which now houses Recreation Director Alicia Corso’s office, and upgrades to the Little League fields.