HECKSCHERVILLE - While it's in good condition, the Heckscherville Playground is scheduled for upgrades in the coming months.
The improvements include a basketball court, a play structure for children ages 2 to 5, handicap parking and signs, an underground conduit for future lighting and safety surfacing, such as mulch.
Edward Bosack of Alfred Benesch & Co., Pottsville, the engineering firm for Cass Township, said construction is expected to begin this week and will be complete in December, depending on the weather.
"The existing playground was in good condition," Bosack said.
Bosack said the playground, located near Valley and Borler roads just west of the Clover Fire Company, was installed about 10 years ago and it needed to be resurfaced with mulch.
The upgrades will cost about $65,000. They will be covered by the township's recreation fund and with a $40,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Bosack said the new equipment, including the play structure and basketball hoops, cost $20,000.
James D. Thomas, Cass Township supervisors chairman, said the playground now only has a field and playground structures for younger children.
"I'm hoping the basketball court will give some of the older kids a chance to enjoy the playground," Thomas said. "This present board, as well as the past board, feels these recreation projects are very important to the residents and children of our township."
Due to the geographical layout of Cass Township, Thomas said the supervisors feel it's important to provide improvements and maintenance to both Forestville and Heckscherville playgrounds. He said it allows both communities to have a playground close to their homes, and that without DCNR funding, completing the upgrades would be a challenge.
The DCNR funding, which totals $31.5 million and was broken down into 218 grants, was announced last Dec. 14 by Gov. Tom Corbett for state projects designed to protect natural resources and revitalize communities. The DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships grant program uses funds from the DCNR Keystone Fund, which is generated from a part of the realty transfer tax, the Environmental Stewardship Fund, the ATV/Snowmobile fund generated through license fees and federal funds, according to a Republican-Herald archives.
The grants support 218 state projects, including 43 trail projects that will protect 3,051 acres of open space. They also support 122 community parks, 12 river conservation projects and 41 projects for general and statewide heritage area, park, greenway and trail initiatives.
In addition to Cass Township, Mahanoy City and Tamaqua boroughs and Foster, Hegins and Mahanoy Townships also received the DCNR funding for projects.
Thomas said the last time the township received a DCNR grant was about three years ago. It was used to put in a toddler structure and walking path with lighting in Forestville.
The township recently submitted an application for another DCNR grant to give the basketball court a makeover at the Forestville playground that is more than 20 years old.
"Our engineers, Alfred Benesch, said the people at DCNR seemed positive so we are hoping this project receives a grant," Thomas said. "We feel it is important to give these recreation opportunities to the residents and their children of Cass Township."
INFO BOX
While Cass Township is using state grant funds for the playground area at Heckscherville, the other municipalities that received funding made plans for the following projects:
· Foster Township - $40,000 for construction of a comfort station and rain garden, installation of utilities and landscaping at the community park
· Mahanoy City - $31,000 for renovation of a basketball court, construction of a parking area, fencing and landscaping at North Eighth Street Park
· Mahanoy Township - $31,000 for construction of a parking area and a pedestrian walkway, installation of play equipment and safety surfacing and landscaping at Park Place Community Park.
· Tamaqua - $28,000 for construction of a parking area, installation of play equipment with safety surfacing and landscaping at Dutch Hill Playground.
Source: Republican-Herald archives