You Asked: Where Do Things Stand With Jackson Park?

A Patch reader asked why the Jackson Park project isn't finished and is the town liable if someone gets hurt in it incomplete state?

  We posed two Jackson Park questions to the head of Public Works and the town administrator. The questions, sent to us by a Patch reader, asked why the project taken so long to complete and is the town liable if someone gets hurt there — considering the park's incomplete state? The answer to why it isn't finished? Money, said the DPW director and town administrator. The park for all seasons has been under the wing of a team of volunteers spreaheaded by Kevin Donaher. The group has volunteered time and labor, organized work parties, sought private contributions and continues to recycle metal. But the park is still shy of funding needed for completion so the town will bring a $60,000 capital improvement request to Town Meeting next week, …

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David Arsenault

3:23 pm on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

What's worse is why the town has not added any new pipe on 1A!!!!!!!!!!   more ›

Sled Cam: Hop Aboard for a Ride

Two sledders on two hills held a video camera on two rides at Jackson Park on Sunday.

  The Park for All Seasons was in mid-winter form Sunday. Fresh snow grew more compacted with each slide. By 3 p.m. the courses below Swampscott High were prime for snow riders. Check out the sliding action at Jackson Park by hopping aboard a couple sleds courtesy of the mobile camera crew: Tom Hains and Alex Hamzeh.

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Swampscott Stories

Lower Jackson Playground Takes Shape Saturday

Community build day brought out lots of families, friends and neighbors.

  The park for all seasons took a giant step forward Saturday when families, friends and neighbors installed the main piece of play equipment at Lower Jackson Park. Twenty-five to 30 volunteers started arriving to Community Build Day at 7 am. They placed aluminum, metal and molded plastic pieces into position and assembled them with washers, nuts and bolts. Shortly before 1 pm the grounds were a symphony of clicking ratchets, turning wrenches and talking workers. "Remember, 'Righty tightie, lefty loosey,'" one of them said, reinforcing a mainstay of wrench work — turn to the right to tighten bolts and screws and to the left to loosen them. Nearby, a backhoe's bucket scraped gravel and nudged boulders from the bony earth — 'Kachunk-kachunk…

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Play Equipment Ordered For Swampscott's Jackson Park

There will be a community build day at the playground, July 14. Sign up for the volunteer effort this Saturday between 8 am and noon at the DPW yard at 200 Paradise Road during the metal recycling collection event.

  This article was submitted by Kevin Donaher. The Jackson Park Playground Project Committee is pleased to announce the children’s play equipment has been ordered and will arrive in mid-July.  There will be a community build on Saturday, July 14, at lower Jackson Park next to the soccer field.  Representatives of O’Brien & Sons, Inc, the play equipment company, will supervise the build and require a minimum of 12-14 volunteers to complete construction which should take about one day. If you are interested in volunteering come to the Saturday, June 30, Metal Collection at the DPW Yard, 200 Paradise Road between 8:00 a.m. and noon to sign-up. The JP Committee is still in need of funds to complete the entire project. As always, the free Metal…

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Swampscott Stories

Action at Jackson Says Park

Jackson Park work is a welcome sight for many, especially its many supporters and those who look forward to using the park when it opens in spring.

  Crews, equipment and turf excavation at Jackson Park are laying the foundation for spring recreation. The hands, dump trucks and soil are a pleasing sight to those who have given the time, labor and cash  — as well as scrap metal — that helped make the project happen. "We've been saying year after year that we are hoping to see it happen," said project supporter Kevin Donaher. Now, for the first time, Donaher is seeing action at Jackson. Others, including the kids Donaher saw hanging around the contruction site last week, have an eye on the progress. "The kids were sitting there with a basketball and I was thinking: 'This is a place that the kids are going to play,'" he said. A basketball hoop will join walkways and benches, and …

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Jackson Park Playground Project

Metal Drive Means Cash for Park

The metal recycling crew were out for the last time this year collecting itens to build Jackson Park.

The steel grating, rods and appliances tossed into cold Dumpsters clanged Saturday morning. But the sound they will soon support will be those of kids climbing playground equipment; adults gabbing on benches; and basketballs bouncing on a court. Jackson Park Project volunteers recently topped the 100-ton mark in collected metal. The money from the recycled metal will finance the park's construction. Work will start soon. "We're hoping to start this year, or spring for sure," said Jackson Park volunteer Kevin Donaher. Kevin, Joe Markarian and John Picariello unloaded trunks and pickup truck beds Saturday. The items included air conditioners, refrigerators, scrap metal and pipes. Even an old-model, shortwave radio set. Louis Zetes dropped …

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UPDATED: Recycle Metal at Phillips Park Saturday

This is the last scrap metal recycling event this year to benefit Jackson Park. The event is at the former Kids Cove at Phillips Park in the rear parking lot

This information was submitted by Kevin Donaher. Saturday is the last chance this year to donate metal for recyling. The Jackson Park Playground Project Committe will be accepting any unwanted metal for recycling with proceeds benefiting the effort to build a community recreation area and playground at lower Jackson Park on Essex Street next to Swampscott High School. The JP volunteers have manged to collect an amazing 101 TONS of metal since the first collection in 2009. Not only does metal recycling benefit the playground project financially, but 100 tons of metal recycled also has a huge impact on the environment. The collection will be held at the former Kids Cove at Phillips Park in the rear parking lot on Saturday, October 29th from …

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Photo Gallery: The Machon School

Ivy covered walls make this old school on Burpee Road an inviting looking property.

The fifth photo gallery in a series on empty buildings in town looks at the former Machon School on Burpee Road. Patch photographer Bob Roche turns his lens on the old school and sees promise and a nice location near Jackson Park and the high school.

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Jackson Park Playground Project

Jackson Park Project Enters Home Stretch

Organizers hope to break ground on the park as early as September. Saturday offers two ways to give the project a boost.

Kevin Donaher remembers the sounds of kids playing on Saturday mornings at Jackson Park. Bouncing balls, whoops and peels of laughter. For six years those sounds of neighborhood life have been harder to hear. He hopes to hear them again, and to see neighbors relaxing on the park's benches and grass. Donaher and other members of the Jackson Park Playground Project have been working for four years to make the park a reality. Saturday will continue that effort with their monthly scrap metal collection day at the Department of Public Works from 8:30 a.m, until noon. The park supporters will also be selling Jackson Park T-shirts, hats, carry-coolers and blankets from a table at the Swampscott Harbor Festival at Fisherman's Beach. Through the …

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