This morning, volunteers, including several elected officials, gathered in Seventh Street Park to paint the park's many benches green. Present in the park, too, were some onlookers, providing encouragement and support.
Gossips can attest that the positive effect of painting the benches in the Public Square Essex green is amazing. Go check them out, but don't sit on them until the paint dries!
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Thank you to each person that made this event happen. From concept to completion... a standing ovation for each of you.
ReplyDeleteWhat was so refreshing and positive to me was the sense of community spirit and the bringing together of people who might not otherwise agree on much in our fair (small) city. Congrats to the FOPS organizers for their vision and execution of this first important project.
ReplyDeleteWhen the graffiti arrives, who will remove it? DPW (bad track record) or FOPS? B Huston
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with the SNL character “Debbie Downer”?
DeleteHey, someone has to keep things balanced and honest!
DeleteOn a somewhat associated note, this morning I walked past 3 males sitting on one the newly painted benches along Park Place. One of them had an unbaggef bottle of gin or vodka, about a third of it consumed. The drunk guy next to him had a 24 oz can of Natural Light in his hand, no bag. This beer seems to be the popular choice among most of the park regulars, if we are to judge by the litter they leave behind. The 3rd park patron was smoking a cigarette, mere inches from a NO SMOKING sign on the bench. A few minutes later it was two of them drinking from unbagged cans of beer, one of the empty cans eventually thrown on to the grass behind the bench. Their little party lasted about 15 minutes, at least that I noticed. There is a more pressing problem than unsightly furniture in the park. I think it's called City Hall indifference to qualiy-of-life issues and possible dysfunction.
Thank you to all the volunteer painters. The benches look great. So it is the start of greater things to come.
ReplyDeleteThe GO AWAY GREEN (whatever that means) color now on the park furniture is in keeping with the GO AWAY (look away?) DARK PAINT trend on houses around town. It is not charming. Why GO AWAY from anything in a public park? How about COME ON IN, HAVE A SEAT!? Have a smoke and a drink, if you like.
ReplyDeleteEssex Green is a Benjamin Moore color. It is darker than the once popular and widely used Hunter Green. It's an excellent choice for the park being the benches and picnic tables are not the most attractive elements so there you go - Go Away Green - It is not the darkest green, far from it, just enough to blend with the environment in a neutralizing fashion. My take on it and hopefully on to the other long term solutions to restoring the park to its more dignified and friendlier appearance. And, of course addressing open container, smoking and whatever prevents citizens from getting the most out of the park.
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