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Residents spearhead effort to save park
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Roz Gadd, left, and Mike Costarella talk about a broken swing, which is one of many repairs needed at Liberty Memorial Park in Girard.
By Danny restivo
GIRARD
A group of local residents is spearheading an effort to revitalize one of the oldest recreational areas in the city.
“Nobody wants to have major changes; we just want to improve it while keeping the natural beauty of the park,” said Mike Costarella of Dravis Street.
He and nine other residents gathered at Liberty Memorial Park along Mosier Road on Monday evening to discuss efforts for area improvement.
The park, which was established in 1926 to honor World War I veterans, has caught the eye of local residents looking to restore a once-popular social spot.
“We’ve seen the change firsthand, and its terrible,” said Roz Gadd of Liberty Street. She and her husband Alan decided to attend the meeting after they saw it advertised on Facebook. The Gadds have lived in a nearby house for 40 years, and they can remember when the park had a pool, a full-time maintenance supervisor and a host of families to enjoy its amenities. They said the place isn’t nearly as lively as it used to be, and the lack of attention has led to decay. Litter and cigarette butts are found on the playground area, while overgrown weeds and bushes cover the pavilions.
The Gadds hope community participation can help bring a new and improved park for everyone to enjoy.
Mike Guerrieri is employed by the city and said there is one part-time employee responsible for the maintenance of all five parks in Girard. He understands the city may not have enough money to maintain a park that has no organized baseball or soccer fields, but he thinks people in the community will respond if asked to assist with improving Liberty Memorial Park.
“I don’t think there is a shortage of people willing to help,” he said.
Everyone agreed Monday’s meeting was the first of many. Some hoped the city could invest in the project, while others mentioned potential fundraising throughout the community. No matter where the revenue originates, all the group members hope to get clean-up efforts under way by spring.