Basketball Court, Picnic Shelter Unveiled at Delfino Park
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City and state officials enjoyed a more comfortable sunny afternoon and free ice cream last Friday while celebrating the official opening of a new basketball court and picnic shelter at Delfino Park.
The new additions to the Lake Street recreational facility in White Plains were about six years in the making and finally completed after overcoming such hurdles as COVID-19 and financial priorities.
“We had to revision the project,” Recreation & Parks Commissioner Wayne Bass said at the July 19 unveiling. “It went through a few changes and it evolved. After a few years we were able to pull it together. It was well worth it.”
The full-size basketball court replaced a previous one that had “a pitch,” according to Mayor Thomas Roach, where players “were literally running downhill.”
The new picnic shelter accommodates 80 visitors and features 15 tables and five grills. The shelter can be reserved for parties and other functions by residents for a fee through the Recreation & Parks Department.
“It’s a very diverse community in everything you could imagine,” Roach said. “The piece that was missing was a facility like this. This makes a big difference.”
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins secured $500,000 of the $750,000 project through the New York State Municipal Facilities Program. The city provided the other $250,000.
“A lot of times people don’t think of parks as a priority,” Stewart-Cousins said, citing the importance of municipalities to have recreational options for residents to enjoy the outdoors.
In the parking lot between the basketball court and the picnic shelter, Bass noted an Eagle Scout project would include the painting of street games such as hopscotch and four square that residents could also utilize when visiting Delfino Park.
“It’s going to bring a lot of color to it,” Bass said.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
