Jamestown Parks Manager Dan Stone presents to City Council (June 12, 2023)

The Jamestown City Council received an update Monday on various projects happening in the Parks Department.

Parks Manager Dan Stone, speaking to City Council on Monday, presented a lengthy list of projects and events the Parks Department has been involved with so far this year.

He detailed several American Rescue Plan funded projects that were completed in time for the season, “We did new ball field in-fields at Allen Park, Nordstrom Park, number 3 (field) at Bergman Park was completely skinned and replaced with ballfield material; and both in-fields at Roseland Park as well. Disc golf is now an 18-hole golf course up at Bergman Park. We just need to install tee boxes at this point.”

Stone said they’re planning to build the boxes using old city brick. He said the basketball courts at Allen, Bergman, and Jackson-Taylor Parks are all sealed and painted. He hopes to put new rims on the hoops this week.

In regards to the two Splash Pad projects, Stone said he’s waiting on prices from Parkitects for the Allen Park Splash Pad to come back. He said the city is also still waiting for the soil test results for Jackson-Taylor Park. The administration said there is currently a 12-week delay on those coming back.

Stone announced the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation has awarded a grant for new picnic tables at Diethrick Stadium. He said they’ve been ordered from Jamestown Advanced Products and hopes they’ll be delivered in the next month.

Stone added that while there will not be a Summer Playground Program in the parks this year, the Jamestown YMCA will still be providing the free summer lunch program on week days, starting June 26, at Lillian Dickson Park.

The Parks Department announced that due to the low number of children attending the program at Jackson-Taylor Park, the playground program will be held solely at Lillian Dickson Park on Falconer Street until the program ends on August 12th.

Program hours will remain the same at 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The free summer lunch program, provided by the YMCA, will continue to be distributed at both the Lillian Dickson Park as well as the Jackson-Taylor Park between 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals are available to children ages 18 and under.

Jamestown Summer Playground Program (Photo by Jamestown Parks & Rec, 2018)

The Jamestown Parks and Rec‘s Summer Playground Program returns this season after being on hiatus for two years due to the Pandemic.

The program will take place at two playground sites that will rotate between Jackson-Taylor Park on Tuesday and Thursdays and at Lillian Dickson Park on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. The days are subject to change depending on attendance numbers. The program will be staffed by five college-age residents.

The playground program is free and also will include a free lunch program between noon and 1:00 p.m. at each site provided by the Jamestown YMCA. Participating children will need to sign up each day in order to receive lunch for the following day. The meals will be available to children ages 18 and under.

The program for kids ages 5 to 13 will run from Monday, June 27th through Friday, August 12th between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Children must register the first time they attend their playground site. They are free to come and go as they wish after that point.

Activities will include bowling, a talent show, carnival, and the Playground Olympics. There will be arts and crafts; as well as games such as mancala, kickball, soccer, and wiffle ball. Equipment will be available at each playground site for the children to play with at any time.

The Nature Day field trip that will feature a tree planting will take place at the Lillian Dickson Park this year. The Parks and Rec Department is collaborating again with the James Prendergast Library to offer the Summer Reading Program at both playground program sites.

For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Office at (716) 483-7523.

Stone said the pollinator gardens also will have a stump jump area the uses repurposed wood from the West Third Street Oak trees that had to be cut down in December.

He said people interested in helping out with the community build should come to the large pavilion at Jackson-Taylor Park at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, “We’ve got a couple hundred cubic yards of wood chips that we’ll be spreading in the playground and then into the planting area once the plants are in the ground.”

A memorial honoring former City Council member Vickye James will be placed in the nature play area. James, who led the community group to build a new playground at Jackson-Taylor Park, died in March.
Stone said the build had been planned for an earlier date until the pandemic interrupted those plans.
The Chadakoin Adventure Trail is being funded through the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and KaBoom‘s “Built To Play” initiative.

Another park project that got put on hold by the pandemic is being readied for construction. Stone said the playground installation for Lillian Dickson Park will take place in July, “The week of July 12th we’ll be doing our initial dig and start removing some of the old material out of there. And then that Saturday, July 17th we’ll be holding the Community Build day to actually put the playground together.”

Stone said the playground is for children ages 5 to 12. He added a new swing set will be installed at the park as well.

Several winter items are hung up at Lillian Dickson Park in Jamestown as part of the ‘Keeping Each Other Warm’ project.

JAMESTOWN – Donations are being accepted all winter long for Keeping Each Other Warm in Jamestown, NY – a community outreach project spearheaded by local residents and whose purpose is to help neighbors in our community neighbors who need support to keep warm during our bitterly cold winter.

The project involves hanging winter clothing items on clothes lines in public places around Jamestown, and giving anyone in need of winter clothing the opportunity to take what they need.

The project is coordinated by residents Georgeanna Guiffrida Culpepper and Audrey Ralston.

Guiffrida Culpepper said they started working on the project in 2014, during an especially bitterly cold winter. “I came across a picture on Facebook that showed scarves tied around trees with the simple message, ‘If you’re stuck out in the cold, take me,'” she explained. “From there the idea grew. I talked with my family and collected our old winter items, the things my kids grew out of and things we didn’t use anymore. I talked to Audrey and she thought it was great and started looking through her items.”

“And then we started thinking, let’s expand the idea,” Guiffrida Culpepper said. “Instead of scarves, lets also provide gloves and hats and all kinds of things and so the idea took off from there with the clothes line and keeping the items clean and dry. So we just kind of kept brainstorming and came up with the basic premise of keeping each other warm.”

Keeping Each Other Warm encourages the donations of adult and children hats, scarves, earmuffs, ear bands, gloves and sock, along with children’s coats and snow pants.

The project will also accept monetary donations to assist in keeping lines in good repair, in addition to buying winter gear to hang.

Anyone wanting to donate items can do so by dropping them off at locations located throughout the city, including:

• Aftercare Nursing Services (Medical Arts Building, 500 Pine Street)The Medical Arts Building (500 Pine St.)
• Phoenix Rising Wellness Studio (212 Pine St.)
• First Lutheran Church (120 Chandler St.)
• Custom Carpet Center (Fairmount Ave., Lakewood)
• Joe Z Coffee (98 Forest Ave.)

Items can be found during the winter months hanging on lines located at:

• Jamestown Riverwalk
• Reg Lenna Center For The Arts (in front of The Reg Studio)
• Dow Park (across from James Prendergast Library Association, in the lower corner at 7th and Washington Streets)
• Lillian Dickson Park (Falconer Street)
• Joe Z Coffee (corner of Forest and Prather Streets)

More details on the project can be found at the Keeping Each Other Warm in Jamestown, NY Facebook page. Both Guiffreda Culpper and Ralston will also discuss the project during this week’s Community Matters program, which airs at 5 p.m. on Thursday on WRFA.

Conduit Ministries will host its fist “I Am Loved” event at Lillian Dickson Park, located on Falconer Street,  from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

According to organizer Pastor Corey Errett, the event is the first of three slated to take place throughout the city, based on previous “I am Loved” initiatives.

“We’ve had several of these events and you may be more familiar with them through the ‘I am Loved’ events that we’ve done,” Errett told WRFA during a recent interview. “In the past we’ve done backpacks full of school supplies that we’ve given to kids. The one we did two years ago there was about 1200 [backpacks] that we gave away, and included a thousand t-shirts and a chicken barbecue. It was a fun atmosphere, so we’re continuing with that this summer, but we’re taking it on the road to three different locations in Jamestown.”

Pastor Errett said the purpose of the event it to show that the church supports the people of the community and wants to help provide free and safe entertainment.

He added that Friday’s event at Dickson Park will feature a bounce house and live entertainment. The church’s refurbished 1960s-era food truck will also be on hand to serve hot dogs and snow cones.

A second event will take place at Johnson Street Park off of Willard Street on July 31 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. The third event on the south side will be held at the church on Sept. 5 from to 5 p.m

For more information on the events or the ministries, visit www.ConduitMinistries.com or like their Facebook page.

City workers and volunteers help to set up new playground equipment at Lillian Dickson Park on Saturday, May 31, 2014. (Photo courtesy of city of Jamestown)

JAMESTOWN – It was a perfect day to spend at the park this past weekend. 

That’s according to Andrew Dickson from the Chautauqua County Health Network, who’s helped to lead a group of volunteers in renovating Lillian Dickson Park on Falconer Street. Dickson says several people stopped by the park on Saturday to help install new playground equipment. He adds that a contractor is now working on installing a handicap-accessible walk-way and the City parks summer program should be underway on schedule.

The project was a coordinated effort between the Friends of Lillian Dickson Park group and the city Parks Department. Funding was provided by several local groups and organizations, including the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation and the city of Jamestown.

An official dedication ceremony is planned to take place in the coming weeks.

A model of what the new playground equipment at Lillian Dickson Park.

JAMESTOWN – Volunteers are still needed to help with the construction of new playground equipment at Lillian Dickson Park on Falconer Street. The Friends of Lillian Dickson Park group will be meeting on Saturday and working throughout the day to build the playground.

Work begins at 8 a.m. Volunteers are asked to bring gloves, shovel, rake and ratchet (socket wrench handle). There will be a port-a-john, refreshments and lunch for workers. Weather is supposed to be ideal but work will proceed even if it isn’t.

To take part, call 499-6657 or visit the LDP Facebook page.

The Friends of Lillian Dickson Park group will begin at 8 a.m. and volunteers are asked to bring their own ratchet (socket wrench handle), a rake or shovel and gloves. It will be a rain or shine event and all volunteers will be provided with food and refreshments.

Groups or individuals interested in lending a hand should call the Friends of Lillian Dickson Park at 499-6657 to register.

There is also a new LDP facebook page where more information on the project will be provided. it can be found at
www.facebook.com/LillianDicksonPark.

The Friends of Lillian Dickson Park group will host the discussion, which will include details on when the new equipment will be installed and also focus on other renovation efforts and park events and activities for 2014. The meeting begins at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon and will take place in the park pavilion.

The park is located on Falconer St. in Jamestown between Stow and Weeks Streets.