Children's Memorial Park
One of the Lockport Parks Pages featured at
www.Lockport-NY.com
THE PICTURE OF LOCKPORT
Children's Memorial Park is one of Lockport's smaller parks but with one of those of highest
visibility and in which the city takes much pride. Located at the intersection of
Lincoln Avenue and South Transit Street it is the first park (and first impression) many
see when entering the city from the south along State Route 78. The park has been at
this spot since the early 1900's when Lincoln Drive was created as a direct route
to Summit Street off Lincoln Avenue. The island plot of ground created by this move
became a city park but with no special features.
Red Ribbons On A Green Christmas Tree
In the holiday view at left, red bows adorn a
Christmas Tree in the park's center gazebo.
Each bow carries an inscription requested by the
donor. The bows (with inscription) are a means for the volunteers at the park to
raise money for the Spring flower plantings and general park maintenance.
Donations are welcome year around, but at this time
of year many find a $5 donation for a bow inscribed with a memory especially appropriate.
You may make your contribution by mailing a check for $5 for each bow and the
inscription you'd liked placed there to:
Children's Memorial Park, 43
Woodbury Dr. Lockport,NY 14094.
A Field of Green, A Patch Of Blue,
and Sun to Show
What Lockportians Can Do!
In more recent years the park flowers were tended, among many others, by
long-time volunteer Lockportian, Ida Fritz. When Ida had to retire from her years of
park labor (seeing her tending flower beds in parks was a common sight) the need for a new
volunteer for the park at Lincoln and Transit was met through the organization work of Peg
Sandusky who lives in the area.
In 1996
she recruited volunteers to tend this park and began fund-raising to bring the many
enhancements to it you see today. She established the park's new theme; a memorial
to Lockport children. Much of the money raised for park improvements has come from
the sale of granite "memorial blocks," found on the approach to the park center
gazebo and seen in the picture to the left. Also donated and installed this year is
the attractive (and accurate) sundial. For about two years the park was under
reconstruction as volunteers gave of their free time and Lockportians made donations in
memory of loved ones. As the flowers opened for 1999 Peg says the park has pretty
much met all of its construction goals. All construction and operating expenses are
met by volunteer donations.
Ed and
Peg Sandusky display a couple Historic Lockport T-Shirts the Children's Memorial
Park volunteers sell to make money to maintain park operations. The shirts are
available for $20 each. The memorial blocks, inscribed with a child's name as a memorial
are prepared for $100 each.
For those who wish to donate checks should be made payable to: The
Children's Memorial Park in care of Peg Sandusky at 43 Woodbury Drive in Lockport.
The Sandusky's are a part of a wonderful group of Lockportians who labor
at the park for hundreds of hours keeping what has been constructed in "showcase
condition" throughout the year. In May of this year volunteers had just
completed giving the park its Spring landscaping with freshly planted flowers and a newly
installed sprinkler system.
Cost To Lockport Taxpayers: Zero
Value To Lockport Image: Priceless
Before
the years of city neglect and vandalism took its toll on Outwater
Park, the famous Rose Garden there was a popular spot for just-marrieds and
many others to come and pose for photographs. As a community we long for
restoration of Outwater Park. Perhaps another
volunteer force, such as labors here at Children's Memorial Park, will someday be organized to fill that need. In the meantime, this
park at Lincoln and Transit fills the photographic requirements of many wedding
photographers, brides and grooms, and...Lockportians who seek the peaceful and serene.
On the day in May this pictorial profile was composed, one couple
was married at the park in the early afternoon, another party came in for pictures in
mid-afternoon.
Evening lighting effects vary throughout the year but are ever so
tasteful. Children's Memorial Park is one of Lockport's Points of Pride...and
so are the volunteers who have made it posssible.
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