The playground at 97th Street in Stone Harbor reopened to the public over Memorial Day weekend. The improvements include new slides, benches, equipment, and updated basketball and bocce courts. New public restrooms and a new recreation office will also be added after the summer season.

“Playgrounds are more than just for children,” said Stone Harbor Mayor Tim Carney, who spoke at the June 14 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “They are the glue that brings our community together. It provides a safe location for parents, families, and children to bond. Projects like this happen through collaboration. The mayor’s role is to appoint citizens to our Recreation Advisory Committee. This committee is a voice of our citizens.”

Accessibility was a major factor that went into planning the project.

“One of the special things about this is the inclusivity,” said Angelo Caracciolo, who chairs the Recreation Advisory Committee. “Any type of disabilities that a child might have, we have things for them to play with, so everybody can enjoy it.”

The 82nd Street recreation area will also be rebuilt in collaboration with the “Jake’s Place” organization, whose mission is to make playgrounds all-inclusive. The nonprofit started in 2009 as a tribute to “Baby Jake” Nasto, who died from a rare heart disorder that prevented him from playing on the playgrounds that he loved.

The projects are mainly funded by a $1.2 million grant from Cape May County and a $750,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program.

Said Carney: “My favorite part of projects like this is seeing the smiling faces and hearing the loud voices of children from our community and also visitors to our community who are enjoying this special place.”

Photo caption: Angelo Caracciolo, Ken Biddick, Josee Rich, Charles Sommer, Mayor Tim Carney, Eric Reuf and Jack Kelleher celebrate the ribbon cutting at the 97th Street Playground.