Community Built: New Nannahagan Playground Thrills Pleasantville

The exhilaration of seeing children running into the newly-rebuilt playground at Nannahagan Park on a sunny day made for a celebratory mood at the facility’s official opening last Saturday in Pleasantville.

Parents, local officials and residents were part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the play space to introduce the improved playground to the community.

More than two dozen children, from toddlers to adolescents, came to break in the shiny new emerald green playground equipment set on thick layers of mulch, which provided for perfect padding. Green and white balloons dotted the refurbished park that has been a popular destination for families with young children for decades.

Pleasantville Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Mike Newmann welcomed the crowd and thanked the village Playground Design Committee, a group of eight volunteer residents who worked over the last six months to design the new playground.

“Your collaborative efforts in designing a playground reflect the diverse needs and preferences of our community,” Newman said. “Your dedication and teamwork have truly paid off.”

A hearty round of applause was heard when Newman thanked Mindy Rodgers, who managed the volunteer check-ins and coordinated meals for the volunteers.

“Her hard work behind the scenes ensured that everything ran smoothly,” he said.

Newman said more than 100 people volunteered on Apr. 19 and 20 to help assemble the playground pieces.

“Some volunteers came each day,” Newman noted. “Some had to leave and then they came back later. It was remarkable.”

Playground Design Committee member Jen Goldblatt was there with her husband, Brian, and their two children, four-year-old Warren and six-year-old Penelope.

“We came together and worked with the Pleasantville parks foreman Mario Sansotta,” Goldblatt said. “It’s nice to see it all come together and that there are so many kids here.”

The committee spent months reviewing various playground designs that were presented by Site Specialists Ltd., a Westbury, L.I.-based company known for working with community volunteers.

Newman said two other village playgrounds are slated to be rebuilt – at Soldiers and Sailors Park and Roselle Park. He said the village hopes to complete work at those two locations no later than fall of 2025.

The estimated cost for the new Nannahagan playground is $152,000, financed by the village’s Parkland Trust funds, which are comprised of required fees paid for by local developers. The village will be reimbursed about $91,000 for each upgraded park from a $275,000 grant from the state Dormitory Authority. Those funds were secured by former assemblyman Thomas Abinanti.

Abinanti attended the grand opening and reminisced about how years ago he and his young son walked to the playground from his home nearby. He shared a quote he saw recently that said “Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.”

“People tend to forget that play is serious,” Abinanti said. “As I look around and see all these young people here, this playground is quite appropriate. These are tomorrow’s leaders. Kids, use this well. They will continue the work we have done and now is the time to shape their brains, to think, to understand and to get a vision.”

Also admiring the new playground was Mayor Peter Scherer.

“It’s a beautiful sunny day for a beautiful sunny thing,” Scherer said. “What a fantastic thing has happened here with a great new playground with so many more open-ended play opportunities.”

Carrying the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce scissors used for ribbon cuttings was Village Trustee and chamber Vice President Paul Alvarez.

“There’s a lot of change that happens in the village but some things like this remind us of who we are and what we’ve always done,” he said. “We are a great neighborhood with great neighbors.”

Overjoyed children rode the swings, shimmied down curved slides, raced up ramps and swung from grab bars.

Watching the action was longtime resident Michael Inglis, who lives nearby on Willow Street. Inglis said he had volunteered the previous weekend just as he did 25 years ago when the playground was being refurbished for his then-three-year-old daughter to enjoy.

“The group who rebuilt the playground back then was exactly like this one,” Inglis recalled. “Here we are 25 years later and when I heard they needed volunteers to help with the components I told myself I have to come and build it again. The turnout was great and it went well. It’s a wonderful community.”