Officials celebrate Lynn field renovation

LYNN – A bad weather delay turned what was supposed to be a groundbreaking ceremony into a renovation celebration as state and local officials gathered to celebrate the rehabilitation of McManus Field.”It’s been a long time coming,” Ward 6 Councilor Peter Capano said Tuesday. “They’ve never invested in this park, not that I can remember, and I’ve been here a long time.”That is being rectified with a $400,000 grant from the Parkland Acquisition and Renovation for Communities, or PARC, program grant. The field/parkland is tucked behind Lynn Vocational Technical Institute and runs up to Commercial Street. Community Development’s Community Facilities Manager John Moeberger offered an overview of the project to those gathered, which included state Sen. Thomas McGee, state Rep. Robert Fennell, Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and Councilor at large Brendan Crighton, along with Community Development Director James Marsh.Standing in the area separated from the main fields by a skate park, Moeberger pointed out where circa-1960s playground equipment has already been replaced with an updated tot lot.”It was the last and the oldest equipment of any of the parks,” he said.The brightly colored sprawling apparatus includes lots of opportunities for little ones to use their arms to propel themselves through tunnels and over ladder-like climbing equipment. Moeberger said that the trend now in playgrounds is for kids to build arm strength.Behind one end of the new play area is a more adult area that looks to be a large sandbox.”It will be a volleyball pit,” he explained.Councilor at large Hong Net told Moeberger his constituents were lobbying hard for a volleyball pit, so they decided to give it a try.”It will be the first one in the city,” Moeberger said. “We’ll see how it works out.”At the other end of the playground will be a splash pad similar to the one the city installed at Flax Pond three years ago.Kennedy said if Melissa Cryan, from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, who was on hand for the celebration, wanted to get an idea of how well-received the new splash pad would be, she need only visit Flax Pond on a warm day.Marsh said because of its location, the splash pad will service a totally different part of the city, and he expects it to be a busy place as the summer heats up.Beyond the play area, which will also feature picnic tables, will be the newly renovated and, in some cases, relocated fields. The softball and baseball fields are being moved closer to LVTI, while the fields that cater to the adult leagues are being pushed toward the Commercial Street end of the property. Moeberger said it makes sense since an area has been left to allow room for parking for those playing in the adult leagues.”We can’t afford to do the parking right now but when we can (the space) will be there already,” he said.Cryan, who was Marsh’s state contact for the grant, said coming out to see how the grants they give out are executed is often the best part of her job. She also said funding the renovation of parks like McManus is crucial, particularly in urban areas where most homes do not come with big backyards in which kids can play.She also likes that McManus caters to everyone from the smallest child with its tot lot and splash pad to the adult league field.”Everyone talks about keeping children active, but adults need to be active too,” she said.Capano said the renovation will be a welcome change.”I would say this is one of the most used parks in the city, and it goes unnoticed,” he said. “Now kids will be able to play baseball on the grass instead of on rocks and weeds.”