Volunteers help spruce up Lynn playground

LYNN – Residents say the Williams Avenue playground is forgotten, but volunteers are stepping up to ensure it is remembered again.Last Saturday, volunteers cleaned up the playground and, with the help of city officials, are hoping to begin rebuilding the play equipment.One Voice Church Co-Pastor Eliana Runyon said she always walks in the area with her children and wondered when someone would do something about the overgrown, out of date playground. The group worked diligently to clean up glass, trash and to mow the grass.”My eyes kind of opened and I thought I should do something about this,” Runyon said. “This is the first step the community is taking to reclaim the park. It has been pretty much abandoned and the thought really is that we are able to organize and buy into this community project to the end of rebuilding it, having age-appropriate equipment up to code and having a nice space for the kids.”Many neighborhood kids do not have a place to play because of the park’s poor condition, forcing parents to drive their kids elsewhere or allow them to ride their bikes in the streets. Runyon said cleaning up the space will fill a number of needs.”There is a need for play space,” she said. “It is important for their health, well-being and for the parents to know they are in a safe space playing.”Runyon and other volunteers made contact with City Hall and PlaySafe to get the necessary supplies to start the job, including mulch, paint, brushes, rakes, brooms and a lawn mower. The group is hoping to obtain fencing after the follow up meeting with city officials this coming Saturday.”The people I have talked with agree the fence is important because of safety issues,” Runyon said. “There is nothing to contain the kids to the park area on one side of the park.”She said she is excited the community is working to make something of the space.”What I am getting from this experience is that we can do more than just complain about how Lynn isn’t what we want it to be,” Runyon said. “We can be agents of change for it to become what we want it to be. I think it is a great experience to see our neighbors and meet people. We can really get something done and have the city we want to have.”The community will meet at 140 Union St., LL4 (Social Security building, basement) on Saturday from 11-1 p.m. to discuss the next steps to making the playground a better, safer space for children to play.For more information, contact Runyon at 781-856-0872.