By Betsy Scheinbart
After securing nearly $1 million from the city budget for the renovation of St. Albans Park, City Council Deputy Majority Leader Archie Spigner (D-St. Albans) celebrated its transformation Monday with Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, local leaders and neighborhood children.
Stern praised Spigner for obtaining the funds needed to renovate the 10.8-acre park’s great oval lawn and for the installation of a new light fitness area.
“He keeps a faithful eye on St. Albans,” Stern said of Spigner. “He pitched out the $960,000 that we needed for this project.”
Stern described the newly seeded oval lawn as “a great place for star gazing,” which has descriptions of the star patterns and their Roman names inscribed on the pavement.
As a further tribute to the sky, the park’s flagpole near the corner of Merrick and Linden boulevards acts as a giant sundial.
Spigner called the park “the pride of our community” and emphasized that it belongs to the neighborhood. Although Central Park is surrounded by millionaires, Spigner said, “St. Albans Park is surrounded by people.”
“We can take care of the park as well with people as you can with money,” he said.
Stern agreed, saying “it is up to the community to take care of this park.”
Both Stern and Spigner encouraged people to visit the park more often, adding that the next renovation should be of the basketball court on the other side of Merrick Boulevard.
District manager Yvonne Reddick and James Davis, the chairman of Community Board 12, which covers St. Albans and Jamaica, joined several parks officials and local civil leaders at the ceremony.
Also in attendance were children from St. Albans Head Start, who often use the park for nature walks, relay races, jump-rope and other games, said their teacher, Parren Branch.
“We were waiting for it to open because we use this place a lot,” Branch said.
Children from the Roy Wilkins Park Summer Camp were glad to be attending the ceremony even though their camp has a park of its own.
“It looks a lot neater and I am hoping it will stay clean,” Tekeisha Coy said of the renovated lawn.
Ololade Aiyeke agreed, saying: “I think it’s the cleanest park I’ve ever seen.”
Alexis Taylor, 12, said she has been coming to the park since she was 9 years old. “It changed a lot,” Taylor said of the renovations. “They fixed it up good.”
Reach reporter Betsy Scheinbart by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 138.
