New playground, Chazy Lake Beach open June 24

DANNEMORA | After over a year of planning and several delivery and shipping delays, the Chazy Lake Beach and park opens Saturday, June 24, in time for the first days after schools closed for summer. "Our new playground has play areas for multiple abilities and ages, and we know it will be a big hit with our residents and visitors," Supervisor Deborah Coryer said in a news announcement. "The addition of this awesome playground to our beautiful beach and park has been a long labor of love, but wouldn't have been possible without a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation." The grant was awarded in 2019, and Dannemora's former recreation leader Jeremiah Haley started researching playground equipment design companies. "With his findings narrowed down to three, his small committee recommended Pettinelli & Associates (P&A) from Vermont in March 2022 who, with Haley, designed the playground," Coryer said. "After careful navigation through the paperwork and state requirements, the equipment was ordered. COVID-related supply chain issues were not over though, and shipping was delayed. When it did arrive in February 2023, Pettinelli & Associates were very accommodating and leased a storage trailer to be on location. With our Highway Department and Councilman Jim Barber, we moved the equipment from the delivery truck to the storage container at the beach," Coryer said. The playground build was scheduled for springtime, May 31-June 1, the supervisor said, which brought some of the hottest weather so far this spring and summer. "I'm not sure if it was the brutal heat or the timing, but our promised group of volunteers unfortunately didn't show. But with the P&A crew and the few people on staff and others we could rope in, we got it done," the supervisor said. Navigating supply line delays and weather, shipping threw the town another obstacle when a delivery of rubber mulch got pushed back. "So now we had a finished playground that we couldn't allow children to use until the safe surface was down," said Coryer of the wait. "The mulch finally got delivered on June 21, and the playground can finally be used thanks to the Highway Department and a few other volunteers who opened and spread 1,100 bags of mulch." The playground isn't the only major upgrade at the beach and park at Chazy Lake, Coryer said. "Our highway department did an amazing job making other big improvements. Highway Superintendent Mark Siskavich, John Shusda, Jason Landry, and Brandon Poupore tore up the old floor in the pavilion and poured a new concrete floor. They removed the many dead and broken trees and stumps, and leveled and top-soiled large areas. They also laid down a new walking path made possible with a grant from the Clinton County Health Department, which is the first step in creating a low-impact parcourse." Clinton County's Soil and Water Conservation District hydro-seeded the fresh topsoil to improve the lawn area. "Overall, great strides have been made to make the beach and park a destination for all ages and abilities" the supervisor said. She credited volunteers who lent sweat equity and support to some or all of the projects, including Haley, Leslie Dann, Ricky Coryer, Rebecca Langlois, Cole Langlois, Denis Fortin, Joey Varin and Trevor Finley. The beach officially opens with lifeguards on duty on Saturday, June 24. The gate is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, weather permitting. But it is locked at 9 p.m., so all vehicles must be off the property at that time. Vehicles are not allowed park on the beach side of the driveway. Leashed dogs are allowed on the pavilion side of the park, but no dogs are allowed on the beach or playground side of the park. The pavilion area at Chazy Lake Beach is available to rent for parties and celebrations. For information about rental, call the Town Office at 492-7541, ext. 2. The beach is located at 2499 State Rte. 374 in the hamlet of Ellenburg Depot. There is no fee for day use. More information about the beach and amenities are online: townofdannemora.com

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New playground, Chazy Lake Beach open June 24

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