Kids spend summer renovating vandalized park
Grade-school kids clean graffiti, fix equipment; township follows suit
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

Kathy Chang (Left to Right) Samantha Obolsky, 8, Justine Stefura, 9, Gerald Penna, 9, John Obolsky, 6, and Joseph Wendowlowski, 9 display their rakes, brooms and resolutions for cleaning up a park in Port Reading that has recently been a hot spot for vandalism.

WOODBRIDGE - Five youngsters from the Port Reading section of the township took it upon themselves to take back from vandals the Fourth Street Park they love to play in.

"Whenever we would come to the park, it was always dirty," said Joseph Wendowlowski, 9, who came up with the idea to clean up the park with his friends. "There was dirt and grass on the basketball courts, the nets were all ruined, and the rusty chains were hanging."

Samantha Obolsky, 8, added that they tried to scrub the graffiti off the yellow slide with disinfectant, but it only faded the graffiti.

The kids - Samantha and her brother John Obolsky, 6; Gerald Penna, 9; Justine Stefura, 9, and Wendowlowski - spent approximately 4 1/2 hours over the past two weeks cleaning the Fourth Street Park with a wagon full of tools owned by Penna's father.

Wendowlowski gathered his friends, and they brainstormed ideas on how to raise money for new equipment for the park. Samantha suggested a lemonade and iced tea stand, and the kids raised $57.50, which went toward the purchase of new swings for the park.

The youngsters also raised $30 by holding fundraisers at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Port Reading and The First Presbyterian Church in Carteret.

When Mayor John E. Mc- Cormac heard about the kids' good deeds, he wanted to show that township officials appreciate their efforts, and on Aug. 24, the kids received proclamations from township officials during a ceremony held at the park.

John Obolsky, father of Samantha and John, said he was proud of the kids and would help them when needed, and described to the mayor how the kids were spending their summertime hours.

"I would help the kids with things like glass that I wouldn't want them picking up," he said. "Also, I would provide them the breaks and lunch."

The kids said they would like a new merry-go-round. The old one had to be taken away from the park because it was not safe. They are also looking to get new swings.

The township received a $500,000 open space grant from the county in June, which township officials said would be used to purchase and install new playground equipment and to upgrade and maintain recreational facilities throughout the township.

The money will help obtain a two-unit infant swing, a carousel, a poly wave slide, a combination slide and climber, a twounit regular swing, a fireman climber, a two-unit infant conversion hobby horse swing, a three-unit tree climber, and a "buddy hut" play structure for children ages 2-5.

The youngsters said they become angry when they see dirt and graffiti in the park.

"We just want people to respect the park," they said.

However, they said someone already pulled the string net off one of the basketball hoops.

"People should be fined $2,000 like they fine people for littering," said 6-yearold John Oblosky, who also added that security cameras should be put in.