In 2014, a lawsuit was filed against the city of Altoona because a child was injured on an Altoona playground. Because of this, the city put workers through training and as a result city codes became more strict. Most of the playgrounds in Altoona were not up to code and were, therefore, either partially or completely removed. By the end of 2016, every swingset in Altoona was gone. Other parks that were previously open to the public were now locked and prohibited. 

Iuzzolino Park was a playground that I played in as a child. I spent a lot of time in the park with other neighborhood kids. There were several different parks in the area that we could walk to.  Now that I am raising my kids in the same neighborhood that I grew up in, I am bothered that there isn’t a park that we can walk to. It is almost 2 miles from the closest park. 

Even though Blair Recreation is working to rebuild all the parks in Altoona, it could be years before the children in our neighborhood have a park close to home again. Shortly after the park was taken out, we decided to start a committee to restore the park. My mother, a woman who lives close to the park (Shasta) and I were the first committee members. Since then, 8 more people have joined us in our park restoration adventure. 

The pictures below were taken on the day we started the project. All that was left was a basketball court, a pavilion, and a small metal jungle Jim. 

Phase 1: The basketball court. This phase includes resurfacing the basketball court, fixing the bank beside the court, painting the lines on the court, installing seating, and fixing the hoops. 

Phase 2: Toddler/lower level playground. This phase will include fixing the pavilion, installing equipment for children between the ages 2-5, adding saucer swings, a seesaw and a merry go round. 

Phase 3: Ages 5-12 Area. This phase includes a zip line, spinning sky runner, and a boggle board,