Mayor Barlow Announces $5,000 In Funding For Leighton Playground Improvements

OSWEGO – A cadre volunteers rebuilding the Leighton Elementary School’s playground this weekend received a boost from City Hall.

Mayor Billy Barlow announced today (Oct. 20) a $5,000 investment by the city of Oswego to the playground project.

This funding allocation follows up a $40,000 allocation to the Kingsford Park School playground, along with other enhancements made to city parks, including Shapiro Park, Breitbeck Park and Washington Square, the mayor said.

The current playground at Leighton is 25 years old and is comprised of decaying wooden structures that lack engagement particularly for the youngest children who use the playground most often.

“I am proud to make this modest investment to the Leighton Elementary School playground so our children can see how important our community parks are and we can better encourage them to get outdoors, get some exercise and enjoy their playgrounds,” said Mayor Barlow. “My administration has quickly invested additional resources to our parks and playgrounds because they are vital assets to a community. We will continue to focus on enhancing our public spaces, improving our parks and providing Oswego residents with quality parks and recreational opportunities.”

The Leighton Home and School Association has been actively fundraising for new playground equipment for more than six years through sales, pledge campaigns and student-led events including a change drive.

Pathfinder Bank and Stewart’s Shops? have also provided donations.

These school and community efforts were recognized with generous grants from Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and KaBOOM!, as well as the Richard S. Shineman Foundation bringing the total raised to more than $55,000.

This funding will be used to complete phase 1 of the project.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group and national non-profit KaBOOM! awarded the Home and School Association a $15,000 Let’s Play Community Construction Grant earlier this year that will be used to revitalize the school’s playground with new and engaging play structures.

A community build event to install the new equipment is taking place this month. The current playground was constructed in 1991.

The Home and School Association will soon begin fundraising for phase two to complete the playground.????

Leighton Home and School Association President Jacqueline Wallace thanked Mayor Barlow and the city of Oswego for the support.

“To say we are excited to begin phase one of the Leighton Elementary community playground build is an understatement. A generation of kids have come and gone since the playground initiative began,” she said. “We are grateful for our fearless playground committee chair, Mary Ann Preston, our Leighton family and greater communities, who have worked tirelessly in support of the playground build. What makes us most proud is how it has brought us all together as a community. We can’t wait for build day!”

Mayor Barlow also thanked all those who contributed to the fundraising efforts for the playground improvements and thanked Wallace for leading the cause.

“I applaud Mrs. Wallace and the Leighton Home and School Association for their dedication to the children and Leighton Park, and thank them for spearheading the fundraising effort and raising the adequate funds to enhance and modify the Leighton Park playground,” the mayor said. “It is inspiring to see our neighbors organize and partner to raise money for community enhancements and work to better position the city of Oswego overall.”

“The playground is getting a makeover with new equipment and some of the old stuff is getting shined up. They’re going to paint all the old equipment and then the wood structures they’re going to re-stain those,” Leighton’s Principal Kara Shore said. “It’s going to look great. It really is a community project; we’ve received a lot of donations and the volunteers are doing a wonderful job. It’s definitely going to be better than it was.”

Mary Ann Preston, a parent volunteer from the Home and School Association, is the playground committee chair.

“I have been involved since my daughter was in kindergarten. She is in sixth grade now,” she told Oswego County Today. “We have been working on this a long time. It’s been seven years since we first met with the playground designer.”

Over the years, they have done “a lot of slow fundraising,” she said.

They started last week pulling out the old equipment.

The Oswego Lowe’s stepped up just in the last couple weeks, Preston said.

“They’re going to work on the edging for us. They brought us those beautiful wheelbarrows to use. And they’re going to help refurbish some of the old equipment,” she said. “I don’t know if you saw it before, but there were rather drab things here.”

Volunteers ranged from community members, students from the district, teachers and staff to SUNY Oswego students.

The gravel that was removed from the Leighton playground will be used on the nature trail adjacent to Oswego Middle School.

The playground’s new surface will be ADA compliant.

Print this entry