Pictures Don't Lie

[WNYresident]

I know some people hate to get their hands dirty but.....

Why not just get some guys from the nieghborhood to pull the wood up? and bolt the play ground equipment together? Then just have the town crew dispose of the wood and cleanup?

[getalife123]

Sure, and we have a Recreation and Parks department that collect a good salary and bennies for what. To sit around and watch the volunteers do their job. I do have to say they are right on top grooming the baseball fields for the beer drinking softball games and then onto the Moose club. That is because many city/school employees either play or go watch the softball games.

[WNYresident]

Sure, and we have a Recreation and Parks department that collect a good salary and bennies for what. To sit around and watch the volunteers do their job. I do have to say they are right on top grooming the baseball fields for the beer drinking softball games and then onto the Moose club. That is because many city/school employees either play or go watch the softball games.

If it is a safety concern show some concern. Then bid out the services when the contracts are due. THere are a lot of ways your community can save money. It is for the kids...

[jenrose66]

I know some people hate to get their hands dirty but.....

Why not just get some guys from the nieghborhood to pull the wood up? and bolt the play ground equipment together? Then just have the town crew dispose of the wood and cleanup?

No need to at this point. I guess the work has been completed with bringing the playground up to safety standards this afternoon. With the wet weather I probably won't check it out until tomorrow...but I'm anxious to see how it looks

[WNYresident]

Pictures!

[andreahaxton]

Sure, and we have a Recreation and Parks department that collect a good salary and bennies for what. To sit around and watch the volunteers do their job. I do have to say they are right on top grooming the baseball fields for the beer drinking softball games and then onto the Moose club. That is because many city/school employees either play or go watch the softball games.

The out-sourced grass cutters do that very well don't they?!?
YOU, are soooo right....this is where their priorities lay, NOT OUR children. This has been a bone of contention for quite sometime.....AND a good 2/3 of the players or so do not even live in Lackawanna.

Just make OUR children's recreation areas as sharp as the older guys and gals....that's all!

P.S. I wanted to re-gold the paint on the Beth Park sign years ago....I was nastily told that it is City property and I better NOT touch it or I would arrested for doing it! Go figure!

[jenrose66]

Here are some pictures of the progress at the Center Street playground. This work was done in an afternoon, so really it didn't take much to do the right thing and fix what was neglected for so long.

The pictures will show that the gap on the ramp is gone and there is also a new bracket securing the walls together, the rotted wood enclosure with rusty spikes was pulled out and fresh dirt was packed in its place, the sharp rusty metal landing that was broken on the fire truck jungle gym was also removed. Under the swings and slides and in a couple other places where there were big dips on the ground were also filled in with dirt.

I will say that for playability and appearance this is a leaps and bounds improvement. However, the grass is still way too long and there is still broken glass hidden in the long grass on the side of large ramp near where the wood used to be. There needs to be some weed whacking around that equipment and a close mow...which can now happen because the wood is no longer a deterrent for bringing lawn equipment in.

For this summer, seeing as how it's almost August I would call this a success. My goal for next spring would be to make sure there is some new equipment purchased that can go in over a nice bed of mulch.

Also, I don't feel like the city has no money for the playgrounds, they just choose not to spend money on the playgrounds...those two things are very different. I'm hoping that now maybe the city sees the value in making sure that some money is spent to bring these parks up to the level they should be.

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[jenrose66]

Here are a few more pics (it only lets me do 5 per post).

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[Frank Broughton]

So I have reported the playground to various news agencies. I sent my pictures to wrgz, wivb, wkbw, and ynn. My full 14 picture album as well as pictures from last September are also fully viewable on my facebook page. Also through channel 4 I found this site:

http://en.seeclickfix.com/issues/206...ous-playground

Please visit this webpage and "vote" for fixing this playground. I guess they sent the information I submitted to growwny.org and the state senate. I'm just really tired of being completely ignored...and having the best interests of innocent children ignored too.

hahah bad playgrounds are hardly worth the effort, we have WAY more serious problems in WNY.... like: Hospitals killing children daily. Sodomites hunting for our little boys. Corrupt cops stealing from us. Corrupt union government workers stealing from us. Corrupt politicians stealing from us. Mafia style leadership in the BTF stealing from us. and the list could go on and on..... parks in disrepair, not even on the radar.

On the second, no nation in the history of the world survived long after that style of life became so called "normalized" - like that behavior could ever be called that.

[Frank Broughton]

Here are a few more pics (it only lets me do 5 per post).
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What is wrong here?

[andreahaxton]

What is wrong here?

I feel your frustration Frank...BUT, OUR kids/families in Lackawanna have been cheated out of safe-fun RECREATION areas for far too long! I don't know where you live, but safe playgrounds in Lackawanna as elsewhere should be a priority to the people getting paid to maintain them! Actually, a no-brainer.

The child obesity rate is just as important as that other corruption, BUT, even more so because it is OUR duty to raise them up as healthy, constructive, and fun-loving as we can. Running around in a neighborhood playground with your friends is great.....remember?

Right?

You go jenrose.....the squeaky wheel definitely got the oil!

It is long over-due and time for the focus of the fake politicians to take their priorities off of the "family and friends club"........and move them to "for the good of the people" !

Right?

[WNYresident]

YOu guys should do an overview as to where all the money goes. That would give you a better idea to what needs to be changed in favor of your entire community.

[andreahaxton]

YOu guys should do an overview as to where all the money goes. That would give you a better idea to what needs to be changed in favor of your entire community.

Yes, because we have not gotten any real accountability of " the money " ever!

Once inside, we never get to hear the actual dollars and cents coming in nor spent! I was told when I first got on the Council that "we put the money into the accounts, and they can spend it anyway they want"!
REALLY?! It is like letting your kid buy pop-rocks with their allowance every week! DUH!

I always " followed the money " and told folks what was going with THEIR money to the best of my ability.

Yes, WNYresident....we desperately need a Lackawanna City Budget CITIZENS' Forensic Audit Committee ASAP! I volunteer to get er' going!
It would help if the Mayor/Council posted OUR Budget/employees on-line like other communities do!

Transparency........yeah, right!

[WNYresident]

All the towns should do that.

Retirement cost broken up between pension costs and health care costs....

Current labor cost versus "hard cost" such as utilities bills, maintenance supplies like salt, concrete, blacktop, equipment etc....

It would make it easier to see through "Government Inc's" spending habits. I think you would all be surprised how I think the net tax payer is being taken advantage of.

Oh, all in the name of "Public Service"

[4248]

Personally its great seeing more and more tax payers and in more and more places - new breed politically active people speaking out.

Transparency is or should be everyones priority - then and only then will tax payers understand where their taxes go. We can affect change - one simple way is to make information available - educate at least one friend - then ask local Politicians to "Explain" why!