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Allison Park sits in Mayfair addition, right off
North Gate and Allison Streets. It is a quiet neighborhood where
neighbors know each other, and children play safely in the local
park. For many years, the offering at the park was quite limited,
especially for those with disabilities or special needs.
Last year, the city took a good look at all the parks under the
city’s jurisdiction and mounted a massive park improvement plan that
included the new dog park on Eight Street, and improvements to
Melrose, Ray White, Postville Park and Allison Park.
Allison Park was chosen to be a very special park, designed to
address children with special needs and physical disabilities. The
park was chosen because of its attributes of being a safe and quiet
neighborhood.
To make the park even better for children within the Autism spectrum
and those who are wheelchair bound or have other physical
disabilities, the park was first fenced in so that it is safe for
children who can sometimes become over wrought and tend to run away
from upsetting situations. The fencing helps those children stay
safe.
There are many areas in the playground that can be utilized by all
children including those with physical challenges. There are special
swings that kids can be placed in safely and securely to enjoy
flying through the air like everyone else, and there is even a
wheelchair swing that can be utilized by children and adults.
On Saturday morning a large group of people gathered to witness the
ribbon cutting. There were several neighborhood residents, but also
folks from outside the neighborhood and several children who came
mainly for the cookies and donuts and of course to play.
Because the park is labeled as inclusive for children
with special needs, it was only fitting that the person who actually
snipped the ribbon was a child. Lucas Hutchison is a child with
autism. He is happy and bright with a big smile on his face. He and
his parents Josh and Charity Hutchison were excited to assist Lucas
with the ribbon cutting.
Lucas did well, holding the scissors for the group photo and then on
cue snipping the ribbon to mark the official opening of the park.
After the cutting, Lucas along with some of the other children there
left the rest of the program to the adults as they found exploring
the park much preferred over what they were sure would be a bunch
grown up speeches.
While the kids enjoyed the playground, Ashley Metelko was asked to
be the first one to speak at the event. Metelko is the
Administrative Assistant to the Mayor and City Council and was
instrumental in the planning of the parks in Lincoln. She worked
with city officials including Aldermen Kevin Bateman and Sam Downs,
City Street Department Superintendent Walt Landers, Mayor Tracy
Welch and others to nail down the plans for all the playgrounds. She
also worked with the budgets and was the one who reported to Lincoln
Aldermen on costs and progress at each of the parks.
Metelko began by calling out Aldermen Bateman and
Downs, Mayor Welch, Walt Landers and the city street department
staff and thanking them for their work on the project. She said she
was happy with what the city has done thus far. She echoed Bateman
who in the background said that there was still more to come.
Next to speak was Alderman Bateman. He said that the
park projects had been made possible through the American Recovery
Plan Act funding that came as a result of the pandemic. He said that
once all the work had been done, the city could see that there were
still projects that could and should be completed in the city’s
parks. He said specifically that there was a need for basketball
courts and hoops and other amenities.
Mayor Welch was then asked to speak. He began by
speaking of Alderman Downs who was not present at the moment. He
explained the necessity of Downs absence, but also noted that the
alderman was on his way and would be arriving before the event was
over.
Welch said that the park projects had been a nearly $300,000
investment spread across all the city-owned parks. He said it had
been very worthwhile and added his words of appreciation for all
those who had worked to make the parks better for the citizens of
Lincoln and beyond.
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After the speeches were completed, everyone in the
park at the time was invited to gather around one of the largest
pieces in the park for a group photo to commemorate the day.
At the time of the ribbon cutting Sam Downs was on
duty with a client. Downs works specifically with special needs
people and had been called to assist with one of his clients. He
later made it to the park, bringing with him a young man named
Ronald. The special guest was able to enjoy the wheelchair swing and
also got to swing in one of the specially crafted safety swings,
with Downs assisting him.
As the morning continued there was another special moment in the
park. Two men who are natives of Lincoln England came to the park to
meet Mayor Welch.
Welch explained that he had been contacted by one of the two about a
month ago. The pair was going to be passing through Lincoln as they
traveled the length of Route 66. They wanted to make a stop in
Lincoln because of their hometown by the same name in England.
Welch said that the two brought a gift of books from their country
and a copy of the Magna Carta. Welch had prepared a gift basket for
the two as well which contained items selected from the Logan County
Tourism Bureau inventory that represented Lincoln and Logan County.
Before leaving the park for the day, the two special
guests from England as well as Downs special guest Ronald gathered
with city representatives including Welch, Bateman, City Clerk Peggy
Bateman, Downs, Metelko and City Attorney John Hoblit, for a group
photo to commemorate the special day.
[Nila Smith]
[Text from file received from
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