BY SUSAN CLARK
A new town playground is ready for children to climb, swing and slide, thanks to more than 60 volunteers who made it all possible.
“Building day could not have been better. It was fabulous,” said Michelle Casale, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commision and chairman of the Playground Committee. “There were over 70 volunteers and most stayed all day until 8 p.m. There were people representing all aspects of the community – grandparents, parents, camp counselors.”
The all-day building event on June 23, featured adult volunteers raising beams and assembing shutes and ladders.
Resident David Voto, 63, came out and worked hard digging post holes all day for the benefit of his 18-month-old grandson, Foti Voto.
“He’s my buddy, now. So I said, ‘I’ll go down there and help them build that,’” Voto said.
Workers had to be 16 and older to be on the work site, but some Bedford Scouts helped by raking wood chips.
The playground, located off County and Nashua roads, will be ready the weekend of June 30, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m., to coincide with the Family Concert Series across the parking lot, at 7 p.m. All donors and the public are invited.
“It’s extremely gratifying to see it built and the Playground Committee is thrilled,” said Casale. “A playground of this scope wouldn’t have been possible without the volunteers, and we were glad to have them.”
All in the name
The official name of the new town play area is the Ann DeNicola Memorial Playground.
Jim Yakovakis, a trustee of the Ann DeNicola Trust, is a retired attorney who knew Ann and her parents. He said Ann DeNicola never married, and her father was a physician in Nashua. She and her parents lived in Bedford for many years. She grew up in Bedford, but she was living in Hanover when she died about 1981.
Ann was a high school teacher, and taught Yankovakis Spanish at Peterborough High School. DeNicola contacted Yankovakis when she wanted to set up the trust. Her father had owned a lot of land in Bedford, which was held by the trust, and parcels have been sold gradually over the years.
Community in action
The total amount raised was $125,725, which includes $50,000 from the town and $20,450 in services. The Playground Committee sends a special thank you to the following companies that donated services:
Chad Laird of Spatial Construction of Bedford spent several days grading, leveling and preparing the site for concrete pads.
Walter Szulc and Jean Belleville of Harvey’s Concrete Floor Company in Bedford formed the concrete.
Manchester Redimix Companies donated the concrete for the project.
Greg Rehm of Liberty Hill Construction, Bedford, spent several days constructing the perimeter pathway.
R. E. Jenkins Construction donated transportation of the excavator.
Paul Mansback, landscape architect, of L. Newman Associates/Paul Mansback Inc., designed and built the perimeter pathway and designed the brick walkways.
Ken Roy of Pro-Scape, Merrimack, laid the engraved brick walkways at both entrances.
Al Guibord, of Fences Unlimited in Windham, donated and installed the fencing.
Carrabbas Italian Grill and Karen’s Kitchen for providing food for Build Day.
In kind donations: $5,000 Harvey’s Concrete Floor Company; $4,000 Spatial Construction; $3,000 Liberty Hill Construction; $2,500 L.Newman Associates/Paul Mansback Inc., landscape architect; $2,300 Fences Unlimited; $2,250 Manchester Redimix; $1,000 Pro-Scape; $400 RE Jenkins Construction for a total of $20,450.
Build Day volunteers
The committee wishes to thank the following volunteers who helped build the new town playground:
Jen Theodore, Jeff Zarella, Byron Mousmoules, Martin Stensgaard, Bob Stensgaard, Brian Harjula, Bob Salvatore, Brian Claussen, Jim Labbe, Michelle Casale, Neal Casale, David Walch, Kevin Walch, George Potter, Andew Gillis, Meghan Gillis, Jeff Degler, Bill Foote, Mike Izbicki, Erin Steffens, Leo Steffens, Charlie O’Neil, Jane O’Brien, Wayne Harressey, Charlie Beaton, Len Izsak, Dave Black, Donald O’Neil, Gordon Slack, Stewart Coulter, Mike Plage, Sean Perdew, Dave Voto, Jim Bell Jr., Brian Decker, Tom Russell, Greg Henrichon, Priscilla McGinty, Carmine DeBlasi, David Guerra, Andy Nixon, Paul Barton, Michael Barton, Michael Scanlon, Rick Soule, Gary Du Plessis, Bruce Thomas, Ben Thomas, Tedd Ellis, Peter Ambrose, Dave Kirsch, Yohana Kirsch, Jonathan Kirsch, Paul Gilligan, Dave Schmitt, Joe Doldo, Lisa Muskat, Dan Muskat, Dave Wood, Paul Mailhot, Brian Mailhot, Undarmaa Batuorov, Ravneet Singh, Supaporn Chuengsirirungrueang, Hayley Blanchard, Nancy Vasquez Mendoza, Doug Martin, Stephen Surico, Gilberto Vargas, Okan Celik, Beatrice Mutale, Brett Gordon, Richard Barnsley, Kyle Barnsley, and any others not mentioned.
Also, the Cub Scouts who raked wood chips: Troop 414 Scout Jonathon Reeks; Troop 5 Scout Scott Jones; Girl Scout Troop 4013, Brianna Arico; Pack 5 Scouts, JP Arico, Mark Peicker, Cole Smith, Karl Averill, Garrick Berger, Joseph Quintal, Nicholas Carter, Andrew Carter, Joshua Reeks, Brady Mayhan and Ryan Mayhan; Pack 5 Scout leaders, John Arico, Cubmaster Wesley Reeks, Mike Berger and Sharon Berger. Pack 5 parents, Anna Arico, Kim Peicker, Mark Peicker, Joanne Smith, Mike Averill, John Quintal, Dave Mayhan, Gale Mayhan Cassie Berger, Andrew Averill and the siblings of Pack 5 Scouts.
– Staff Writer Kevin Shalvey contributed to this article.