GEORGETOWN, Del. - For parents like Nicole Harmon in Georgetown, it's a long time coming. After three years of work, a vacant, messy field has been transformed into a mirage of slides and swings. The site is the first public playground in Georgetown.
"It keeps them off the street," she said. "Keeps them busy. And we can relax while they play rather than worry about them running into the streets or falling off of a rickety slide."
The playground is located on North King Street, in the area just east of Kimmeytown, the primarily Hispanic part of town. For years, organizers of the playground struggled to raise enough money for the project, but through grants and donations, the $100,000 needed was raised this Spring.
Councilwoman Chris Lecates was one of the primary organizers, and said the park was born out of necessity.
"There was no place to play," she said. "No place for these children to play. But they wanted to play. So they would have soccer games in the street. They had no other options."
Lecates also said she was hopeful this playground could help bridge the gap between the town and the primarily Hispanic community in that area.
"It's really significant for the Hispanic community," said father Simeon Perez Velasquez in Spanish. "Because right now there's not a community service provided. This is not private so it's for the entire community."
