SUBMITTED BY JIM BOGDEN | CHESTERTOWN RECREATION COMMISSION
The Chestertown Recreation Commission Is launching a community fundraising campaign to help complete a major new playground at Philip G. Wilmer park, close to the Chestertown Marina and within easy walking distance of the Town’s shopping and eating district.
The Town of Chestertown has been awarded a grant of $209,394 by the Maryland Community Parks and Playgrounds Program, which would have been enough to build the playground when the Town Council approved a community-shaped design in September 2021. Unfortunately, before the contract was signed in January the cost of the playground rose 15% due to global supply-chain problems and inflation related to the COVID-19 epidemic.
The fundraising campaign aims to raise $40,000 in contributions from members of the public and local businesses: enough to complete the playground as designed, build walkways, surround the playground with a safety fence, and landscape the perimeter with low-maintenance plants. Chestertown Mayor David Foster announced in the January 17 Council meeting that the Town would match all donations dollar-for-dollar, thus doubling every individual contribution. Main Street Chestertown is accepting donations online at https://mainstreetchestertown.org/wilmer-park-playground-project. Alternatively, checks can be sent to Main Street Chestertown at P.O. Box 427 in Chestertown (donors should specify "Wilmer Park Playground" in the subject line).
The playground design includes activity playsets for young children ages 2–5 and older children ages 5–12; a set of four swings, including an infant seat and a parent/child facing seat; a fun disk swing that can hold four children, including most children with disabilities; and a set of musical instruments—all placed above a 4,570 square-foot permeable rubber surface. The sturdy equipment from major playground supplier Burke, Inc. is fully compliant with current playground safety standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The playground will be located at the North end of the park, next to the parking lot and inside the existing walking trail.
The Burke design was shaped by a committee of ten volunteers, including a nationally known consultant on appropriate playground equipment for children with disabilities. This and a second design were put to a public vote in September 2021. Nine-hundred thirty (930) people voted online: nearly 2/3 chose the Burke design.
Donations of $150 or more will be recognized with an engraved 4”x 8” brick in a walk leading into the playground. The donor’s name, a memorial message, or any other inscription will be literally “set in stone” for a lifetime. For a $300 contribution, donors will be able to inscribe a larger 8”x 8” brick with text. Company logos can be added for a set-up fee of $50.
In the months ahead, the Chestertown Recreation Commission will be working to establish a new non-profit organization called “Friends of Wilmer and Ajax Parks” to assist the town with ongoing maintenance of the new playground and other park amenities. The organization will be modeled on the very successful “Friends of the Chestertown Dog Park”, which maintains and continually improves the Marty Stetson Dog Park off Morgnec Road. Active community involvement is a vital aspect of Chestertown’s high quality of life.
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