KEARNY –
Some municipal recreational infrastructure in need of attention has been addressed recently in Kearny.
Several compromised park benches at Bell Playground got fixed, as did some jagged edges of the synthetic turf at the Thistle F.C. Futsal soccer Facility.
“When the playground [on Stewart Ave., between Chestnut and Devon Sts.] was built about nine years ago, the benches installed there were secured by a brick base but over time, rainwater and erosion have caused the bricks to become loose,” said Public Works Director Jerry Kerr.
And, Kerr said, that process has been accelerated in recent weeks by miscreant youths “picking at the loose bricks.”
So, to prevent the possibility of anyone getting hurt by a bench toppling over, Kerr said the town called in a contractor to remove the bricks, lay down cement and anchor the seven wooden benches into the cement.
Kerr said he got prices from three firms and Season Round Property Management of Newark came in the lowest at $1,950 so they were hired to do the repairs last week. The playground was closed for a couple of days to allow the contractor to complete the work, he said.
Meanwhile, at the Futsal soccer field, Assistant Recreation Superintendent Ralph Cattafi said that continuous use of the synthetic turf surface, seven days a week, has taken a toll, with sections of the turf getting ripped up.
“There were one or two sections, in particular, in dire need of repair,” Cattafi said. “It’s taken a beating with all the wear and tear.”
The 25,250 square foot Futsal Facility in Riverbank Park at Passaic and Bergen Aves., with three practice soccer fields, was resurfaced with Field Turf in spring 2009 for nearly $200,000 with help from a U.S. Soccer Foundation grant.
Land-Tec, a landscaper from East Meadow, L.I., was called upon to handle the repairs, Cattafi said. “The job is still under a 10-year warranty so there’s no charge to the town,” he added.
It took about a half-day to do the work, Cattafi said.
– Ron Leir
