{"id":55788,"date":"2024-08-14T12:19:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T16:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/?p=55788"},"modified":"2024-08-14T14:50:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T18:50:55","slug":"genesee-county-stafford-town-board-asked-to-consider-making-an-inclusive-playground-at-emery-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/08\/14\/genesee-county-stafford-town-board-asked-to-consider-making-an-inclusive-playground-at-emery-park\/","title":{"rendered":"GENESEE COUNTY\/Stafford Town Board asked to consider making an \u2018inclusive\u2019 playground at Emery Park"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Julie Carasone speaks to the Stafford Town Board about the possibility of an inclusive playground at Emery Park (photo by Mike Pettinella)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former Stafford resident Julie Carasone gives town officials high marks for keeping Emery Park in excellent condition \u2013 calling the recreation area\u2019s facilities \u201csome of the best in Genesee County.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Route 5 park could become even better, she believes, by making it a place that welcomes children with various abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to meeting: GENESEE COUNTY\/Stafford Town Board Meeting\/August 12, 2024 \u2013 Video News Service<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carasone appeared at the Stafford Town Board meeting on Monday night to pitch the idea of making Emery Park \u201ca friendlier, inclusive and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant playground for all children with different abilities to be able to play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Reading from prepared notes, Carasone mentioned her 3-year-old granddaughter, Alexandria, who was born with congenital heart defects. The child suffered a stroke in her first month and underwent open heart surgery at 8 months old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause of the stroke, she developed hip dysplasia, and it made it difficult, but not impossible, to walk, jump and run,\u201d Carasone said. \u201cFour weeks ago, she had hip surgery, which leaves her in a hip body cast for six weeks.\u201d(Provided photo<\/strong>–Carasone’s 3-year-old granddaughter Alexandria<\/strong>)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Carasone said that \u201can inclusive playground is of great interest to me because I want to see my grandbaby be able to enjoy playing with her sibling, cousins and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the modifications she proposes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

— Ramps instead of rope ladders or hard ladders for easier access to slides;
— Wheelchair accessible swings, walkways and wider decks;
— Soft flat padding instead of stones or chopped up tires to make it easier for kids to talk while providing a soft landing if they trip or fall;
— Different swing options;
— Ground-level options for those who can\u2019t climb;
— Sensory playground equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recently, board members reported that some of the playground equipment had been damaged, and this prompted Carasone to explore ways to obtain funding for repairs. She said she spoke with Eric Fix, City of Batavia assistant manager, about Batavia\u2019s plans to replace equipment at Austin Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said that the city received a $500,000 matching grant from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Batavia is contributing another $225,000 from its Department of Public Works capital reserve account, Carasone said. She added that the city is looking to contract with companies that specialize in playground design and construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carasone then asked the board to \u201cseek out grant opportunities and use some of the town\u2019s American Rescue Plan Act funds to start the process.\u201d She added that she thinks City of Batavia or Genesee County officials would share pertinent information with the Stafford Town Board to help facilitate modifications at Emery Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Snell, longtime former Town of Stafford employee, said he was worried about the town\u2019s \u201ccontrol\u201d of the park if federal money was used to improve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we tried to do up there (was to) get the equipment \u2026 from the town of Stafford, so that we could control it from the town of Stafford,\u201d he said. \u201cYou start getting federal monies in there and monies from all around, and you have no control over who\u2019s going to use it. But there\u2019s the possibility of checking in with the quarry and other places to replace some of this stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deputy Supervisor Ronald Panek asked Carasone to forward the information she received from Fix to the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would be curious. The City of Batavia, they may have the advantage of demographics that allows them to get much in funding,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carasone replied, \u201cI’m definitely not saying that you guys need $775,000 to rebuild a playground — nothing close to that — but just something a little bit different so kids can play.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Julie Carasone speaks to the Stafford Town Board about the possibility of an inclusive playground at Emery Park (photo by Mike Pettinella) By Mike PettinellaFor Video News Service Former Stafford resident Julie Carasone gives town officials high marks for keeping Emery Park in excellent condition \u2013 calling the recreation area\u2019s \u2026<\/p>\n

Continue reading<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,10],"tags":[4530,2898],"class_list":["post-55788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genesee-county","category-stafford","tag-inclusive-playground","tag-stafford-town-board-meeting"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8eTP4-evO","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55773,"url":"https:\/\/videonewsservice.net\/index.php\/2024\/08\/14\/genesee-county-stafford-town-board-meeting-august-12-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":55788,"position":0},"title":"GENESEE 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