STOCKTON - On a recent Sunday, volunteers helped improve Millrace Park in Stockton by setting up exercise and playground equipment. Town officials and other volunteers, including a number of young people, helped prepare the ground, put the equipment together, and set concrete around the poles.
According to Stockton Town Supervisor, Dave Wilson, "Stockton got a $20,000 member item from State Senator Cathy Young. There used to be a ditch in the area that held water. We couldn't mow here. We used the majority of the money for pipe work and a real backstop for the field. We had $6,000 left over to buy equipment for the park. I applied for the grant when I was on the planning board."
Wilson, wearing bright yellow waterproof boots, worked hard carrying, digging and reaching up to help fasten bolts. Councilmen John Beichner and Bryan Meder and highway superintendent Aaron Burnett also contributed much physical labor and expertise to the effort.
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Playground cleanup
Aaron's wife Kathy directed the effort to install equipment by reading and interpreting the directions for assembly and checking the height of the equipment.
A number of young people came to lend a hand, too.
Beichner said, "I am pleased that the young people are willing to pitch-in. It is important to get the young people involved in our community."
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OBSERVER Photo by Diane R. Chodan
Joelle Dziduch, summer recreation supervisor, shovels wet concrete to set the equipment installed in Stockton.
Beichner's young son, Collin, wanted to help. He took the empty wheelbarrows back for refills of concrete, as well as fetched and carried.
Joelle Dziduch, the Youth Recreation Supervisor, positioned poles and later filled them in with concrete. Her sister Jenna also contributed labor to the effort. B.J. Monticelli who will work in Youth Recreation this summer helped set the poles into final position and worked with the concrete.
Dan Meder, Bryan Meder's nephew, came to "help out" too and did whatever needed. Rickelle Echevarria, Aaron Burnett's niece wearing her bright green shirt, held poles and listened carefully to what needed to be done.
Paige Burnett, Aaron and Kathy's daughter, was everywhere - making good suggestions for getting the poles moved into proper position, digging post holes, and even telling Wilson the location of the controls on the tractor in her dad's absence.
She explained, "We (my family) have a farm of three acres. I have horses and I got a lot of experience with the post hole digger doing a line of fencing."
Comments on this story may be directed to dchodan@observertoday.com
