Brent writes in…
Was out walking this afternoon and ran into several families expressing concern over the missing toys at the most popular toddler park in Atlanta at the corner of Nelson Ferry and Ponce (across from First Christian Church). Children’s cries could be heard all around the neighborhood as they were left to ponder what Grinch was capable of such a horrible act during this Christmas season.
“This can’t happen now, it couldn’t, it wouldn’t, it mustn’t, it shouldn’t; not now, not then; not ever again.”
Occasionally there are clean-up days at the toy park – when old and really broken toys are discarded – but if so many parents are taking note, something may be up.
I was happy to see the toy clean-up. The park had gotten to look like a toy graveyard. Many parents, it seems, believe that taking their old, broken, dirty, worn out toys to the park helps. I certainly appreciate the community aspect of the sentiment, but seriously, there were a lot of toys that just needed to be thrown away. Believe me, in a few weeks there will be plenty more toys just appear out of nowhere. I imagine the old toys that are replaced at Christmas will find their final resting place at the park!
I spoke with a mom who did some extensive investigating at the prodding of her heartbroken toddler, and it appears this was not a simple toy clean-up. The church’s Park Committee voted to remove all of the toys. The very few toys that are in the park this morning were replaced by the mom, and with great push back from the Committee. Any new toys that are placed there in the future are likely to be removed. Would love to hear from someone on the Park Committee. While I agree that a regular broken toy clean-up makes sense, the abundance of toys is a huge draw for the Toddler Park. A lot of parents, not to mention toddlers, are very upset about this new policy.
The new see saw is great and so were a lot of toys (unbroken toys) that were taken away. My son loves that park and loves to scout for new toys there. He didn’t care if they were broken, children don’t care about things like that. And if a toy was unsafe most of the parents take it upon themselves to throw them away. The thing is, they took 90% of the toys away- GOOD TOYS. All the little toy tractors are gone and all the big plastic slides and climb toys. I noticed the children would line them up and play with them all together. I just think that, yes, we are lucky to have that park, but what makes it FUN and stand out are the toys. Go look- they are mostly ALL gone. Anyway, it;s sad to me because my son and A LOT of other children loved it and NEVER got bored being there!
I would suggest you contact the pastor.
I did and he told me it’s not the end of the world. So there you are. HIs name, if someone would like to call him is- James Brewer and his work phone is- 404-378-3621. He also said it was up to the park committee and they made the decision to take most of the toys away. They did it because they feel the park was too cluttered…but now it’s empty. Couldn’t there be a middle ground???????????
Wait. A church pastor told you, “it wasn’t the end of the world.”? Whew.
Of course, he may have a point.
And, the church, I’m sure, could turn the park into a parking lot.
All of this is more of the same Decatur misplaced angst–it’s not about toddlers, toys, or torts. It’s about the next step in banning minarets. Let the Swiss lead the way.
Oh, and folks, if you want your toddlers to have toys to play with at the park, bring them yourself.
Maybe that WAS the middle ground.
Interesting. My husband recently commented that the park was beginning to look a little like a Soviet-style amusement park, and some of the toys really were a hazard (ride-on cars with only three wheels and the like), but overall the toys definitely were popular with the kids. I’d be interested to hear the Committee’s take on this.
I talked to the head of the committee – he’s actually my neighbor. I asked him why they took away the GOOD toys- away the plastic slides, the climbing toys, the wagons and picnic tables and he said because the park looked cluttered. CLUTTERED!?!?! I bet the kids don’t think so!!!! He also said if there are two of anything, even if they are in PERFECT condition one of the toys will be taken out of the park!!!! So, as I pointed out, no more playing together! My son would watch someone on a bike and then he would find a bike and ride with them. That’s gone. They want children to ‘Share”. They are basically editing what the children can play with!!! Drive past the park…no one is there anymore. It’s not near as fun or crowded. I guess we will start going to the sand park on North Highland.
Geez people, bring your OWN toys (emphasis deliberate).and then take them home. Rationalizing that the kids don’t care if they are broken misses the point: Someone wanted to throw them away, but decided to dump them in the park.
I don’t know how many “good” sound toys were there. Perhaps an inventory should be taken compete with bar codes, and GPS chips to keep track.
A depreciation schedule could be made to schedule periodic “cullings”. that toys been here 6 months, time to go….
I would think in a place like Decatur, the occasional “recycling” of all that plastic would give many of you a warm feeling inside.
I live near that park and agree it is at the Church’s discretion to do with it as they see fit based on a “public” use for which the land was bequeathed lo these many years ago.
I hear, that back in the 40’s cows grazed there. Maybe we should bring in some animals for the kids to ride ? Of course they would need to be someone else’s cast offs…the kids won’t care, woiuld they ?
I do not miss the soviet amusement park look at all. And besides, it will be back right after Christmas…..care to bet against me ?
Well, consider this: the Park belongs to the Church; the Church allows pretty free access to it without asking anything more than having people not trash the place; and the Church could, if it chose, rescind public privileges at any time, and no one could say it nay. In light of the foregoing, it takes some monumental effrontery for parents to get all steamed up because the Church has decided to keep the place from looking like a dump (and possibly incurring some liability for any injuries that might occur as a result of some toddler playing on broken toys).
In short, if it’s my yard, I can do what I like with it– including revoking your play privileges, throwing out your trash, and sending you home.
I have to agree with that. It’s not a public park. We’ve only gone there a couple of times; the toys scared me and my OCD.It was a mess and I would bet some lawyer type in the church suggested the cleanup.
Wow. How very church-y.
And the church doesn’t pay taxes.
I hear a slight tinge of the, “If you don’t like it–leave it,” argument here.
and yes, how very church-y.
Full disclosure: I’m neither a member of, nor the lawyer for, FCC. That being said, it rubs me the wrong way for there to be any suggestion of proprietariness on anyone’s part towards someone else’s private property, especially if the property owner is allowing people to use it without any (apparent) motive for gain or profit. And yes, Naaman, you heard more than a tinge of “If you don’t like it…”, I thought that was perfectly clear. Whether the Church pays taxes is irrelevant– it owes the public nothing except an ordinary duty of care when allowing its private property to be used for recreational purposes (and I should point out that even though the Church is a 503(c) organization, it can still certainly be sued). “Churchy”? Maybe not, but attitude is in the eye of the beholder– and who says the Church shares my outlook? Maybe it’s going to do something else to replace the toys, maybe not– but even if it didn’t, it can hardly be accused of an ungenerous attitude. Me, on the other hand, well…I’m not the Church, so I guess my wordly, cynical, unChristlike attitude is my bad. 😉
This seems like a good time to ask, “What would Jesus do?” Personally, I think scripture is pretty clear that, while He did deliver salvation to all mankind, what really stopped the people from whining is when he left a bunch of plastic toys lying around.
Without knowing the church’s motivations, exactly how does one assess their level of “churchiness”? But that’s America. We don’t just want things handed to us for nothing. We also want to dictate the terms of the deal.
Sheesh.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14
“And you better have ample toys there, too.” – Decatur toddlers and parents
Eh, Rob– nobody’s hinderin’ ’em from coming unto Jesus or the Church. Or the Park, for that matter. Folks who don’t want to come b/c of the lack of toys are making that choice for themselves, since they’ve obviously ruled out bringing their own by their very whinging about the removal of the park toys.
Eh, Cuba. I think Robbie agrees with you. And, well, I do too. I’ll still go to the park with or without toys. As stated by others in the thread, the park has many attractive factors, round sidewalk, fences, etc.
Looks to me like Brenda and her many aliases have riled up the population of Decatur Metro.
Eh, you may be right, Chadly…not like me to miss tacit agreement cloaked in an ever-so-thin veil of sarcasm. Well done! And Robster, mea culpa!
bull……. churchy ?? grow up.
Awww….it was kinda like having our own ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS….sniff…and now it’s gone…GONE!
I am right there with you!!!! And the kids LOVE it there! It’s like when ever something gets really fun, somebody steps in and ruins it! Anyway, that’s how I feel.
Perhaps the parents and the church could establish a committee to patrol the park, clean out unsafe toys on a regular basis, and raise funds for sturdy new toys.
There is a park committee, they are the ones who took almost all the toys away. There was no middle ground for them!
Both of my children, at the appropriate age, adored this park and not because of the toys which have always come and gone since they are not locked up or bolted down. The main draw was always the circular sidewalk which has only a slight incline. It’s perfect for learning whatever stage of mobility one is at–toddling, scootering, tricycling, cycling, inline skating, skate boarding. And the parents can sit in the middle and watch without having to move. They can even read a little since there’s a fence completely surrounding the property. The other big draw is the swings.
I think the “round and round” park, as a previous generation of toddlers used to call it, will survive with or without toys. Parents can bring their own just like we brought our own scooters, trikes, or bikes. A playhouse is a little harder to transport so that might be the one thing that will have to go missing. Or did it stay? Maybe an Eagle Scout will volunteer to build a permanent playhouse someday. (Note to self: Suggest to some of those earnest Boy Scouts I see around town).
My toddler and I were very disappointed by the disappearance of the toys at the park last weekend. It’s true that many of the toys are “well-used,” but when my son was too young for the playscapes at most parks, it was nice to have a place with lots of different options for him. He even learned how to walk by pushing various push toys around the loop! I hope the toys are back by the time son #2 is toddling around!
I know what you mean about there not being too many parks designed for toddlers/preschoolers vs. preK and up aged children. That has always been the joy of the round and round park, toys or not. It’s a relatively short stage of life, maybe a year or two, but a really big deal when your children are in it. Sometimes you can find some preschool playgrounds, e.g. at church preschools, where it’s ok to visit on off hours. In addition to the round and round park, we used to go to the Westchester preK playground with toddlers but I think it’s pretty decrepit now. Both were worth the drive even if one didn’t live right in the area. Don’t know if the College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center playground is open to the community when school is out.
YES! My daughter really got stronger and more coordinated by pushing the toys and she ran all over the place at the park. She even learned how to ride the scooter at the park. And she loved playing on the big plastic toys but I notice those toys are gone too? What was wrong with them? They looked in great condition to us….
Why are you replying under a bunch of different names?
I have to step in here and give the whining adults of toddlers a public rebuke.
This church has GENEROUSLY allowed the park to be used (and sometimes abused) by families who come far and wide because of its safety factor (fence, round and round sidewalk, small playequipment). The park equipment was paid for by a joint venture with the church and the Ponce de Leon Heights neighborhood and a grant from years ago Decatur Beer Fest (BTW, did you notice a new seesaw?) The church also has to maintain the park, pick up the trash and the dirty diapers, and make sure that the equipment is safe to use. It is a great park, and it makes me happy to see how well used it is, but seriously people, bring your own toys if you want, or even send money to the church to help maintain this well-loved landmark.
GENEROUSLY….is how all churches should act.
GRACIOUSLY…is how children and their parents should act when using the park.
(One way parents could show their gratitude would be to purchase their holiday wreaths and trees from the church.)
We bought trees last year from the church and we didn’t see any new toys at the park- I am just saying….
Amen, brother Cranky!
And thanks for the background on the park. I’ve always thought it amazing that it continued to exist in this age of lawsuits. My thanks go out to the members of FCC for continuing to let us use the land.
We were very dissapointed to see the toys gone, too. Although I understand that the church may be liable for accidents happening in the park with the toys and I also agree that some of them were broken and dangerous I don’t understand why they simply add a rule/note on the boards at the entrance of the park saying: “Please don’t bring broken toys and if you see one that is damaged or dangerous please put it in the trash cans at the entrance” or something like that.
If every caregiver takes responsibility making sure there are no damaged toys plus the regular “toys cleaning” I think that should take care of the problem.
I’m not going to take sides in this most heated of fights, but I recall someone saying a few months back that prior to the proliferation of toys, the park was a popular hangout for residents of all ages.
Maybe they’re trying to broaden the park’s appeal?
BUMMER! NO TOYS- NO FUN! 🙁
“Brenda” we can tell that you’re the same person posting under different names because of your indenticon. Your comments are now being sent to moderation.
This whole thread is a spoof, right? Some kind of “Candid Camera” type prank?
Indeed. This whole exercise was a snark-out. Awards ceremony for snarkiest comments to follow.
Dear DM,
You’re kidding! The identicons are unique identifiers? Uh-oh.
Sincerely,
Jane Smith
They are?? Yikes!
dm,
i left his post earlier this afternoon and there was a mere 15 comments, I think. Nothing gets the ole blogging going as either missing toys or a stinky farmer’s market. it’s amazing! I and people crying because the church took toys away that belonged to the church. the nerve!
Oh, and take all the credit, too!
Maybe this conversation went a little offline…..
I believe what some concerned parents wanted to express is this….
This park was unique because of all the toys! And it had a lot of visitors that enjoyed them. Yes, there were a lot of them, and certainly some of them were broken beyond repair and not suitable or even dangerous. Sorting out those toys has always been a permanent process done by many of the ‘Regulars’.
And I agree, that the park is the church’s property and as such the church has the right to do whatever they want.
But please consider the following – The toys were removed for the following reasons:
– “The park looked cluttered” – One may have different opinions about that. I think the toys made this park unique in Atlanta and I think that all the visitors (especially the “Regulars”) do agree
– Toys were removed if they were double. E.g. some of the little ‘cars’ were removed. This happened with the idea that children should learn how to share! I can only say, that there were many kids… and even with so many toys they still had to share! But as mentioned earlier, kids also like to imitate other kids and thereby they can learn something new. By having identical or similar toys, one kid could watch another one and pick a similar toy to do the same… Is that really a bad thing? And do 20+ children really have to learn how to share as little as 5 toys?? They have to grow up early enough, don’t they??
– I am really upset about the fact that this church simply throw toys away that were still in a pretty good shape. Just as example the mini slides, the little climbing toys, a basketball hoop, many little cars and more… Throwing these toys away instead of even considering to donate them to some charity, kids in need, especially that close before Christmas??? You may have your own opinion… mine is pretty clear on this one
– Lastly, I would actually be surprised what will happen to toys that some people may perhaps donate again (IF that will happen). Following the above strategy they will disappear just as quick as they will come…. And WHO will donate toys to a park if they know that they will just be thrown away???
Now that they’ve taken the toys away, the kids should be let loose to run around in restaurants.
Yay, the toys are gone! It really was plastic overkill in that park. Now the kids will have to play with each other and use their imagination.
Thank you, Rain, for a voice of reason. My gosh, this is disturbing to read about the whining over the loss of toys in a PARK graciously given to the community by a church where there are plenty of fun things to do and grass and trees and dirt to play with. Why do you need plastic?
I have to agree with the “entitlement issues” statement. Get over it. Teach your kids that things change and it’s a good opportunity to use their imaginations to find new ways to play.
This is the last straw. I’m moving to Powder Springs!
No Tee, don’t do it!
What has happened to Decatur? I grew up here, and maybe I was just ignorant to the amount of privilege that existed here. I don’t remember a time when people were so self-righteous about the use of private church playgrounds or anything else for that matter. Like someone else said, bring your OWN toys or use all of that money you have to build your OWN park. Then you can let all of you neighbors use it. Man, for all the good things that have happened to Decatur in the past 15 years, sometimes I long for the old Decatur and its mostly working class residents.
I don’t think most people on this thread are really acting that way. Most of the entitlement comments are coming from “Brenda/Sandy/GiGi/Cass/dk”. She’s obviously someone who is not a member of the church, has nothing to do with it maintenance, but likes the park. She may not even be FROM Decatur- there is a large group of regulars in that park from the surrounding areas I have overheard talking about how great it is to live so close to Decatur and its amenities without having to pay for living in Decatur. Now I mean no offense here to our friends in the surrounding area, but this particular group made me want to smack’em around and they were often in that park (they slammed our schools, our taxes among other things, standing in a little cluster as their kids ran wild in the park; about a month ago baby Nell and I actually left so I wouldn’t get arrested; I saw at least some of them every time I was there). So don’t blame all the entitlement on Decaturites!
Decatur has loads of playgrounds and we go to all of them. The special thing about this one was the presence of all those toys, and I think no one is claiming some sort of right to dictate to the church how they can use their own property.
It’s just a bit sad that now it’s no different from all the other playgrounds. My daughter loved the plastic houses more than any feature of any park in town. So no more “Daddy, let’s go to the house and make lunch.”
Like I said, the church can pave it over and they have every right to. It’s just a bummer.
‘Nuff said.
Thank you Rick!!!! And again it’s not that it’s sad they (the church committee) took away the broken toys- they took away perfectly great toys that the kids loved. That’s the sad part- great toys that made the park special and fun are now gone. And yes, the church has every right- however, it’s still sad to the children and that’s who were are talking about – right?
You folks upset about the park should consider that the church could sell that land to a developer. Just think — it could be houses or condos! If you use the park regularly, I suggest you send your thanks to the church, and do it often. And it wouldn’t hurt to include a little monetary donation to help pay for maintenance!
I thought of that too….If you look at the historic resources survey a few posts back there are actually 3 apparent residential lots and a larger lot in that space…if memory serves…
The church used to occasionally put out notices requesting donations towards the upkeep of the park. I’m sure that if they did that again, they would get some from regular users. I know I donated years ago when I had a toddler using the park.
To extend my comment, what I would say is this. If you are upset that the toys are gone, sure, tell the church that you miss the toys. But do it with a gracious and appreciative spirit, and if you can afford to, with a check in your hand.
Is it a playground or a park?
seeing as its zoned institutional…neither. 😉 smart a–…I know…
I wish its was a park with a playground though. That’s how I see it anyway. Maybe the city could buy it? I doubt the church would want to give it up though.
I’m shooting down my own ideas…
I’m happy to report that my wife and two small offspring visited the park yesterday. Apparently, the new see-saw is big hit even with the absence of a plethora of plastic toys.
The only disconcerting part of the visit was all the enraged locals carrying pitchforks and torches looking to skewer some mom named Brenda.
That, and the big sign by the main gate that read, “Santa isn’t real. Sincerely, Cranky Old Timer.”
Yep, your kids and mine had a big ol’ time playing with rocks and sticks, watching the squirrels fight. Good thing they’re all too little to read that Santa sign…
oh, i’ve been slammed! Thanks writer chad. you made my day.
Glad I could make your day, Cranky. Upon further investigation, I think you were framed.
It seems the sign was hung by a female. The only description that witnesses could pass on to authorities was that her breath smelled of rum and limes. Keep an eye out for this Christmas crushing femme fatale; she must me stopped.
That sounds like her. Are there cupcake crumbs on the ground?
*Hanging head in shame* Oh, allright, allright! I confess!! But cranky MADE me do it!
I take no responsibility for this fa-la-la fracas. Free Cuba, please send me your rum and limes! (or leave me small brown package of liquor in the park–now that’ll send the parents fleeing!)
on second glance, that was an imposter! who is this nefarious lubacibra?
OK, disappointed parents. It’s not that we don’t understand your disappointment. We do. It’s just that it seems fairly obvious that the people who use that park regularly have allowed themselves to forget that they’ve been playing at someone else’s discretion, relying upon the landowner’s provenance– and your reactions seem, well, more than a bit ungrateful. When I was a kid back in the Pleistocene, NONE of our playgrounds had anything on them except for some swings, a merry-go-round, and a couple of those coiled-spring rocking animals embedded into the ground. Other than that, it was wide open grass & packed dirt– and we LOVED it! We didn’t feel deprived because the place wasn’t swimming in Little Tykes, and really, your kids won’t either after a short while. And as many of you have pointed out, they’re TODDLERS, fer pete’s sake– they’re definitely gonna get over it quickly (a lot quicker if they don’t hear their parents P-ing & M-ing about it, that’s for sure)! Like Rain & Clairemont have previously said, give your kids credit (and a chance) for being able to use their imaginations. It might mean you have to come off autopilot & be a little more vigilant about watching your little’uns while you’re there, but you just might be pleasantly surprised at how well it all turns out. And as for the Church throwing something away, all I can reiterate is that when something is donated to them, it becomes theirs to do with as they see fit. Are you absolutely sure they just tossed the “good” toys away, and didn’t donate them? DM, is there anyone from the Church who can give us the straight dope? Just puttin’ it out there.
Well said, Cuba. I hope this puts an end to a conversation that really should not have continued for so long. I’m constantly amazed at what topics get us Decaturites all het up.
I don’t remember ordering a token Republican. Is DTR like a gift with purchase?
You didn’t order me…I arrived all on my own. Whether or not you consider me a gift with purchase remains to be seen.
“Focus” column by Senior Pastor James Brewer-Calvert, First Christian Church of Decatur
Where Have All the Toys Gone?
Children across these United States are entering a season of anticipation and great expectations. Young people from all walks of life are anticipating gifts of bright new toys under their Christmas tree. My parents hid in their bedroom closet Christmas gifts of toys and games, and it took my three brothers and I all of our will power to resist sneaking a peek. For every aunt who gave us socks or sweaters there was another who wrapped up a toy and put a nephew’s name on it. My own children are teenagers but that only means their wish list for new toys is higher tech than, say, a Little Tykes scooter. Which brings us to the latest hot topic in Decatur: Where have all the playground toys gone?
In 1998, First Christian Church of Decatur members, friends and community residents came together to design a park for children and youth in the city. Our vision was to create a safe place and sacred space for children and their families. We decided to work together to raise the $75,000 necessary to build a playground on church property. We formed a Playground Task Force (3 church members, 3 neighborhood residents, 1 senior pastor) which has met regularly ever since. We raised the funds every which way: barbecues, rummage sales, fish fry dinners, carnivals, a cook book, passing the hat a second and third time, chili cook offs, and a generous grant from the Decatur Beer Festival. The church/community network has been so successful that John Hashimoto, our Playground Task Force chairman, was recognized as Decatur’s Hometown Hero. And look at what we created together with our vision, sweat, resources, and faith! I love to point out that our red swing set holds the world record for constant activity. While the official name is “First Christian Church of Decatur Church and Community Park and Playground”, among its beloved nicknames are “Toddler Park” and “The Land of Misfit Toys”.
One of the playground’s many blessings has been the unplanned yet welcome donations of good used equipment and toys for sharing. Such generous gifts have enhanced the play and character of the sacred space. In 2009, we received a number of reports from families who love the park that it was overcrowded with toys and appeared messy. In response our church teenagers built a toy parking lot in August; afterward the small fence pieces were adopted as toys themselves and then eventually were lost, stolen or strayed. Two Saturdays ago all damaged or duplicate toys were removed. First Christian Church of Decatur respectfully reserves the right and will practice the responsibility to remove broken and/or an excessive amount of toys which may hinder or harm a positive play experience. Our custodians empty the trash cans five days a week. Feel free to help keep the park neat, safe, and clean. We do thank you for your understanding and ongoing support of this adventure.
People in the city have contacted me to ask what can be done. Here are some possibilities for you to prayerfully consider.
First, on Saturday, December 12 at 9AM bring a rake or shovel to the park to help clean up and spread mulch and wood chips. Secondly, donate to the restricted funds account called the Park and Playground Maintenance Fund. 100% donated to this fund is directed to the upkeep and improvements of the park. Third, come by our church lawn and buy a Christmas tree or wreath. Funds generated by the sale benefit the park and ministries in Greater Decatur. The Frazier Firs are fresh and ready to be delivered (free within five miles!).
For more information or to ask any question please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or call my cell (404-229-2326) or the church (404-378-3621).
May you connect with the gift of God that keeps on giving. As always, First Christian Church of Decatur and our neighbors across this fine city, I am delighted to be your pastor. Shalom, James Brewer-Calvert
NOW FOR THE REAL STORY.
Parents of a lot of kids were calling the church with stories that their kids were getting sick with bizarre viruses — some even going to the hospital, and docs were asking — hey, did they play/lick dirty toys? Yes, that’s toddlers for you, they do like to sample the wares, even plastic wares for that distinctive flavor … anyway–those fun toys are bastions of germs, and your babes were getting very very sick. so the church decided to eliminate the germ factory, or at least stem the flow of disease for a while…hence the great toy toss.
as the crankiest parent around, i can attest i prefer a well child over a kid at egleston, even if they’re out of my hair for a while …
and by the way, the tree sales support the park’s maintenance
And FYI…cranky was good enough to contact the church for us and get this more “official” response.
Vote cranky!
Crankster, you’re the BOMB-diggity! This pretty much supports what most of us have been saying (and what Scott so eloquently & succinctly stated above): the Church was in a pretty untenable position. If it kept the toys out there, the number of parents calling to rag about the playground making their kids sick would likely have increased until somebody filed a lawsuit (charging that FCC “knew or should have known” that its playground, with all those festering toys, constituted a health hazard, blah, blah, blah). Would the Church have prevailed? Most likely, but it still would’ve had to spend the $$ to defend itself. This way, there’s pre-emptive action, the Park is safer and looks better, and people get a much-needed reminder that they need to stop looking gift horses in the mouth.
As member of the church and park committee and a mom with children who use the park frequently, I can assure you that there was no grand scheme to steal the joy (or toys) out of the park we all know and love. The committee is open to the community and there is a park cleanup day scheduled for the morning of Saturday, December 12th. If anyone would like to join the committee or come out to help clean the park and put down wood chips to help prevent injuries near the swings or the play equipment please feel free to do so.
It is the responsibility of the commitee to maintain a safe environment for all ages. While there are regular checks to make sure that the installed playground equipment is clean and in good working order, there are just not enough volunteers to check to make sure that all of the donated toys are clean and in good working order as well. So, we decided to error on the side of safety when removing toys from the park. Especially given that we had started to get complaints from parents that thought their children had gotten sick from using the plastic toys at the park. It is the cold and flu season. And with the HINI virus going around, I would hope that most of the parents in this conversion would be able to appreciate that our actions were to meant to protect and not to disappoint.
What the committee saw was that the number of toys had suddenly multiplied, in just a few short months. And the upkeep was unmanageable, broken or not, good condition or bad. I think that some parents may have started to view the park’s toys in the same way they view the toys at their child’s school or daycare. But the difference is (or you hope) there is paid staff to keep those toys sanitized. That’s just not going to be the case in a public setting with a small group of volunteers. With that said, there should still be a few riding, sliding, climbing and push toys for toddlers to use. And donations are still welcomed.
Please consider directing your passion for the park towards joining the committee or coming out to help on Saturday the 12th.
Thank you Decatur Mom for the inside information. It could not have been as it was described by the first posts. Seems to me that this is a classic example of not being able to please all the people all the time and the other cliche of a bad apple spoiling things. People get all emotional about kids and its understandable. To allow a toddler’s “heartbreak” to become a big dust up does shed some light on parenting skills and example setting. But, that’s a different conversation. It would be nice that people would see all the positives that come from the playground and the church instead of myopic criticism. Those Christmas trees sure are nice looking too. I hope they do well with the sale. It can only help the playground in the end.
well…to me it all makes sense. I dont like the idea of a little one hugging an H1N1 toy for sure.
now…lets talk about the on street parking there! Thats a fun coversation.
I totally support the Park Committee in taking action to keep the park safe and tidy. But I wonder if it’s really true that kids were catching H1N1 from the toys in the park. According to my (very limited) research (ahem – Googling), H1N1 “virus survives only minutes on inanimate objects or hands, so these are very inefficient ways to spread the illness.” Of course, I’m not a clinical epidemiologist, nor do I play one on TV.
On the other hand, I drove by the park this morning, and it looks great.
Not having progeny, I couldn’t care less about the Great Decatur Toy Deprivation. But if some committee ever decides to remove all the tennis balls from the dog park, there’s gonna be some heck to pay!
To be clear – there have been NO reports of children getting H1N1 by playing at the church park. What I stated was that parents with very young children were reporting illnesses to the church and that they believe those illnesses were due to playing with toys at the park. Of course, the children could have gotten those illnesses anywhere as young children have a tendency to put everything in their mouths. However, the church park did provide a lot of access to toys that were never cleaned and therefore took action to protect as many children as possible.
This is the funnies thread I’ve seen in a long time. You guys are hysterical. Thanks for your input Cranky!
Looks like I have been posting under a nom de plume. Forgive me…..
*tsk* The nerve. The NERVE, I say! I….I don’t know if I can ever trust you again, my cupcake cohort…
I get you drunk and you forget all about it.
This is my last email on this subject, but I am glad there’s a lot of interest in the little park. Either way you believe, toys or no toys, it’s still good banter and nice that so many people care. Yea, for the park- and yea, more people are thinking about it than ever before.
The only thing that still bothers me, is I don’t get why all of (or most of) the toys had to be removed because of Germs. Aren’t germs, then, on the swing, and the silde and the great teeter-tatter? That argument just doesn’t make sense to me. But I am done. And I am looking forward to seeing the park in the next couple of months…. Bye.
To all those who think the church is being unfair and have decided a church and their property is their private little kingdom may a remind y’all of a story Jesus told:
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So, I will step forward and say to FCCD, thank you for thinking of the kids regardless of if they belong to your church or not. Thank you for creating a space that is both safe and fun for people of all ages. Thank you for not ever considering a parking lot or commercial enterprise for what is a beautiful corner. Thank you to the committee members and volunteers for all the hard work they do to keep the park from becoming a gathering place for gangs and other unsavory types of behavior. Thank you for providing a place where kids actually learn what diversity, togetherness and unconditional love is all about. Finally, thank you for providing a place where there are no harsh rules of use but rather an expectation of decency and sharing.
Thank you for doing the very best you can for our neighborhood for indeed your faith in the neighborhood has made us well…thank you!
Would a little note on the gate advising of the possible germ problem, and the plans to remove damaged/duplicate toys prior to the removal have prevented this brouhaha? Folks who wanted to reclaim their ‘donations’ and donate them elsewhere could have done so, and there would have been no mystery. Just askin’.