Those are photos from May 2007 (top) and March 2008 showing Ercolini Park, years in the making at a storied site west of The Junction (48th & Alaska), and now maybe less than two months away from completion. Donated money and time have been key to getting it this far – they just finished fundraising last October — and now Ercolini Park volunteers have put out the call – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get the job done, by signing up to pitch in for whatever time you can give Saturday 4/26 and/or Sunday 4/27. Here’s their request:

The time has finally arrived to put on those work gloves and help complete our park. As you may have seen, we now have grass and are ready to install the play equipment. The play equipment supplier has scheduled construction to take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th. We need approximately 25 volunteers for each day. There will be additional work to be scheduled later that will include: spreading the wood chip play area surface, cleaning up the walkways and spreading beauty bark in the landscaping. We are setting up shifts starting at 9:00 am on each day. Please e-mail mkhjorten@comcast.net with your commitment of when you can volunteer and for how long. Please include a contact phone number so we can reach you if we need to. We have a neighborhood group (SNAP) that has volunteered to help with refreshments. This is also an area where you can volunteer. We will need sandwiches, snacks, beverages and assistance in providing lunch. Children are welcome to come and help but will not be able to play in the grass area or construction zone.

Each volunteer needs to come with a pair of work or garden gloves. Other items that will be needed:

-Shovels and rakes
-Rachets, sockets and wrenches (9/16” and 5/16”)
-Cordless drills
-Several utility knives
-6’ step ladders
-Several wheelbarrows

Tasks will include: unpacking and moving parts into place, play equipment assembly, moving dirt from post holes, clearing construction debris.

Each volunteer will need to sign in and out with the Volunteer Coordinator at the site to insure that we get credit for your time. If you provide refreshments, please submit a receipt to the Volunteer Coordinator, so we can get credit for your in-kind donation. We need to match $12,000 of our Dept. of Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant. This all goes toward that effort.

There will be a tent erected in the center plaza area, but the construction area will not be covered so dress accordingly. Hopefully, we will have beautiful weather. Let us know if you have any questions. Pass this on to your neighbors.

After the grass has had time to mature we will have a dedication ceremony, probably at the end of May or first part of June.

Sign up to help by e-mailing this address: mkhjorten@comcast.net