Meandering w/ Mark Matthews: Bellmawr's Sauter Park new playground equipment brings out families
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Bellmawr's Sauter Park on Park Drive in the Crescent Park section of town is in the final stages of having new playground equipment installed. Thanks in part to a grant from the Camden County Freeholders plus the hard work of Bellmawr's employees, the project includes tough timber borders, rubber mulch, new climbing equipment, and is positioned to reuse the existing swing frames.
On a visit today (4/20/2013) the only things that seemed to remain are putting the swings in place, and some surrounding landscape work.
Saturday turned out to be a beautiful spring day, and many young families and children were already out taking full advantage of the new playground equipment.
Like most pubic gathering places, Sauter Park has experienced some night time vandalism over the years, so also coming this spring are police monitored security cameras, some of which will be placed in the Sauter Park area to keep an eye on things. Let's all work together to monitor and watch out for the park and all of Bellmawr.
I remember as a kid in the late 70s when the Sauter Park property was actually about 8 ft below street level, and the large basketball court area and swings were already long past their prime. Over the years the town has done a great job in recognizing the value this property can bring to the community, and invested wisely in expanding its use. Decades ago it was a place for only teens to hang out, and now it is a park that is utilized by Bellmawr residents of all ages. A nuisance really has been turned into a gem for the town.
My wife and I looking forward to taking our new granddaughter Maya to the park later in the summer. At 3 months old, she's still a little too young for the park's activities but maybe by the fall...
Continue on for pictures of the park!