The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Expanding the Skate Park
Joyce Leinberger and Chrissy Palamera spearheading Lenox Recreation Park project
Seeking to build off of the success of the Lenox Skate Park, two local women are spearheading a plan to bring more recreational opportunities to the residents in the greater Lenox, Lincoln, and Canastota area.
Joyce Leinberger, of Lincoln, and Chrissy Palamera, of Lenox, want to bring a skating rink, dog park, bocci-ball space, and additional parking to the land behind 230 South Peterboro St.
“It’s an effort to make the community better for people here and to fill these empty houses and businesses,” Palamera said of the plan, explaining her vision for semi-pro hockey teams and other such groups coming in for events at the planned 80’ wide by 120’ long rink. Bocci-ball tournaments are also possibilities upon completion of the park.
Bothwomenhave children who have worked at and spent hours upon hours at the park. Both have been beyond impressed with the
attitude and sense of community service among the youngsters who frequent the skate park. Those youths care for the skate park and police it better than either could have imagined when it first opened. That sense of community pride is something they hope continues with the expanded Lenox Recreation Park.
“These kids have put blood and sweat into this park. The community service in their heart goes beyond perception of skate park kids,” they said.
In addition to the skating rink, a pavilion, dog park created with appropriate screening in conjunction with Wanderers’ Rest, bicycle storage shed, and parking are among other plans currently being concocted.
Part of the intent of the park is to include all generations with a diverse mixture of offerings.
“We want to offer adults something to do while there kids are here,” Palamera said.
The recreation park would extend behind the skate park and be set on the southern side of the CSX Railway that runs between Wampsville and Lenox. Leinberger and Palamera are seeking to tap into the gathering momentum of the New York State grant funded Lenox Rail Trail.
“These two things are so intertwined,” said Town of Lenox Supervisor John Pinard. “They have put in a lot of time and effort for this project. They’ve canvassed the community.”
Make no mistake, the rail trail, which the Town of Lenox received an $800,000 grant to fund, and the Lenox Recreation Park are separate projects. No taxpayer dollars will be used in constructing the skating rink, acquiring fencing for the proposed dog park, or any other as- pect of the rec park expansion. The park is a donation driven asset.
Rather, Leinberger and Palamera are seeking to build along, but separately from the rail trail, in order to create a recreation corridor of sorts. Both women note the importance of recreational activities to both youths and adults alike, and their vision is to bring the Town of Lenox a unique park, with close proximity to biking, hiking, and jogging along the rail trail.
Since coming upwith the idea for an expansive recreation park, Leinberger and Palamera have received a great deal of support via donations from local professionals. They have material commitments from Rasmussen Rentals and Callahan Construction. Don Colvin has donated lighting and helped develop drawing plans for the site.
In attempts to avoid duplicative opportunities, the two women collected more than 200 hundred surveys before coming up with conceptual designs. Basketball courts didn’t make it into late stages of planning because, as residents noted in the surveys, there are already some in Village of Canastota.
“There are so many things, once we get going, that we can give the kids of Lenox, Canastota, and Lincoln,” Leinberger said.
Barring any unforeseen complications, Palamera and Leinberger are hoping to begin clearing land for the dog park this fall, but their efforts are contingent upon construction of the rail trail. Once rail trail construction begins, the two and their volunteers will have a clearer idea of what will fit where, but they do not want to get in the way of the grant funded project. Once plans for the rail trail are clearer and work begins, though, Leinberger and Palamera are ready to forge ahead.
“We’re ready to roll,” Palamera said.