Renovation begins soon on the new Compo Beach playground.
In preparation for the work, some items — including pickets from the previous upgrade — have already been removed.
Some of the current pickets …
But don’t worry. The “old” pickets will not be tossed out.
The Compo Beach Playground Committee and Westport’s Parks & Recreation Department realize their importance.
The committee says: “Any pickets will be safely detached, cared for and kept in good condition for pick-up in April. We know how much people care about them. They are a top priority for our dedicated volunteers as we work to expand the fence line.”
To learn more about how to collect “your” picket, click here.
The committee adds, “We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from current and former Westporters as we embark on the next phase of this community project. We are grateful to everyone investing their time and energy into this exciting renovation.”
… and a few more.
Many names of previous picket donors are familiar. Those “kids” are now in their 20s and 30s.
For them — and anyone else buying a new picket (click here for details) — perhaps they’ll pick it up in 2045 — when the playground is ready for yet another remodel.
(To learn more about the Compo Playground Renovation, including volunteer opportunities, click here.)
Thank you for sharing this information Dan and to the new committee for putting a process in place to connect with anyone who was part of the first update. And of course — to all of the people who volunteer their time to make these projects move forward and have a positive impact on our community.
lol. I was just there and was about to text you that they were gone!
as usual, you are on top of things!
thank you.
I was one of the volunteers who helped build the first playground. I worked with three other women whom I had never met before and we had a ball!
My kids were grown, and actually never lived in Westport, and I had only moved here three years earlier, but I felt it would help me get involved in the town.*
Dan — did you write about the people who were against building the original playground? Those who said it would spoil the view? Those who claimed busloads of undesirables from (gasp!) Bridgeport would come in to use it? That it would lower property values in the area? And those who said that the arsenic in the wood would poison the children using it? Forty years and then some later, this playground is one of the major attractions of the town.
* and it did.
Thanks, Bobbie, for your back story. I have written several times about the group that took the playground committee (and town) to court (and lost). Almost as soon as the playground was built, they could be seen bringing their children and grandchildren there, and showing it off to out-of-town visitors as Westport’s latest jewel.