The sound of laughter fills the air as three boys race towards the swing set. They eagerly jump onto the black vinyl seats and push off with their feet that only just touch the ground. They fearlessly fly higher and higher into the sky, imagining they are birds and airplanes. Other children run breathlessly in dizzying circles as they take turns climbing up and sliding down the silver metal slide. Parents and grandparents sit nearby on benches watching and talking with one another. The playground is a place of community, recreation, and imagination.

Or at least that is how some people envision a park for Ellenville's future. In fact, the Village of Ellenville currently has no park area for its young people to play. However, if a few concerned community members and village officials get their way the next months could change all of that.

In 2004, the Village of Ellenville applied for a grant of roughly $25,000 to create a playground area for the community. The grant approval came in September of 2005 but the process became bogged down due to the requirement that a costly survey be performed on the proposed site located on Berme Road. Fortunately, a deed was found and the process is now ready to resume.

Enter Ms. Fawn Morosky, a lifetime resident of the area and a correspondent for this publication. Ms. Morosky has been thinking about how to get a playground into the village for many years. "I grew up in the village and it always seemed sad that there was no park within walking distance of the downtown – no place to play, talk or just look at the mountains. While I was traveling I would see these great parks and I wished that there was something like them at home."

In recent weeks Ms. Morosky has met with the Ellenville-Wawarsing Youth Commission and been in contact with a number of playground builders such as Leathers And Associates, Inc., based out of Ithaca, New York. She will be meeting with Village Manager Elliott Auerbach next week.

Her idea is to have a "community build" playground similar to those already existing in New Paltz and Woodstock. The way a "community build" playground works is that the playground's designer would come to the village and meet with the area's youth in an attempt to incorporate ideas from local children and teens. Ms. Morosky says, "No other place would have our playground."

Once the design was completed the community would have to form a work team that would, with the company's guidance, assistance and safety inspection, actually have to build the playground itself.

Auerbach, who said he was involved in an earlier local "community build" effort liked the idea, "because if the community builds it then there is a real sense of community ownership."

If you are interested in getting involved with the playground effort by offering skills, services, donations or just to learn more please contact Fawn at lovethetrees@yahoo.com or call 845-594-7653.

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