By: Bob Roberti
On Saturday morning, September 23, Mayor James Barberio addressed a small group of Sedgefield residents at the long awaited groundbreaking of Grafton Park. The mayor was accompanied by Council Vice President Robert Peluso, Councilwoman Loretta Gragnani, Councilmen Paul Carifi and Michael DePierro and Township Forester Jim Walsh.
Mayor Barberio spoke about how the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy rendered Grafton Park unsafe and the township unable to provide the expertise and equipment to remove the fallen or leaning trees.
The Mayor and council authorized a budget of $800,000.00 to transform the 4.3 acre passive wooded park into a neighbor park similar to other neighborhood parks in Parsippany. The township provided an architectural rendering of the proposed neighborhood park with two designated children play areas. There were also two photographs of the similar play equipment used at other neighborhoods parks in Parsippany. Mayor Barberio then called on Sedgefield past presidents Bob Roberti, George Kimmey and Maria Caivano to take a shovel and break ground for the new park.
Sedgefield Civic Association, past president, Bob Roberti then addressed the group by first thanking the Mayor, Council and Town Forester for all their efforts to make this park a reality. Bob also thanked members of the SCA Beautification Committee present for their many hours of volunteer labor for the past 10 years in Grafton Park. Bob also acknowledge that it was now impossible for the Beautification Committee to maintain the park any longer without the townships leadership. He mentioned it has been 64 years since the land was originally deeded to the township for recreational development.
Now is the time for the township to develop and maintain Grafton Park as a neighborhood park.
In addition to the local Sedgefield residents Democratic Mayoral Candidate Michael Soriano, and Democratic Council Candidates Emily Peterson and Janice McCarthy were present and after the ceremony took a tour of Grafton Park with Bob Roberti.
