In The News

Playground Mural Project is Far More than Fun, Games

April marked the three-year anniversary of the building and grand opening of the Hamilton Beach Park Playground; a play ground that the community purchased and erected through much effort spearheaded by S.T..R.S. The Hamilton Beach Park Playground Mural Project is an attempt to continue the enhancement of the playground, which is made possible through a grant S.T.A.R.S. received from the Queens Council on the Arts. The project is taking place in three phases:

- First and foremost, S.T.A.R.S. organized a clean-up focusing on the playground, but included the balance of the park property. The May 22 and 23 clean-up included removal of trash and litter from the area, removal of graffiti from playground equipment and handball courts and removal of shells from basketball courts and playground areas.

- The second phase is painting a mural on the asphalt of the playground. There is a twofold reason: because it is a large black area adjacent to Jamaica Bay, sea gulls fly over dropping shells on the surface which leaves an abundance of broken shells in the playground that constantly needs to be cleaned. Understanding Gateway's limitations on personnel to clean the area, S.T.A.R.S. has researched alternate solutions; one being to paint the surface multicolors to confuse sea gulls causing the gulls to drop their precious shells elsewhere. This solution has worked in other locales with a similar dilemma and would not cause harm to the birds. Second reason for the mural is the artwork in question will be a large circle with the words "Our hands helped build this playground" outside the circle. Inside the circle would be painted handprints in the shape of a globe. This is where scheduling of those who wish to participate in the project will take effect on: Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. S.T.A.R.S. is asking those who assisted in someway, either organizing, planning, fund-raising or participating in the building itself, including children and adult residents of the area to continue their participation. To include your handprints in the mural, call S.T.A.R.S. at (718) 845-6956 to schedule a day and time.

- The third and final stage of the project will be an "unveiling" of the mural. Participants must attend the event June 6 to enjoy the exciting moment of the project. Refreshments will be served after the 3:00 p.m. unveiling. The mural will serve as a constant reminder how the community came together for a common goal. This playground is not another piece of equipment but an important part of the neighborhood. When completed, the mural will look similar to a multi-colored globe.