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BURLINGTON – Two Burlington Police officers from the department's Community-Oriented Policing Unit want to transform a long-vacant city park into a playground for neighborhood children.

The city council gave the idea a warm reception at Tuesday night's meeting.

Some five decades after the city removed its equipment, all that remains of Eva Barker Park on North Main Street is a weather-beaten sign.

Cpl. Winston Meadows and Patrolman First Class Joel Thomas want to give this vacant land a new purpose.

"We've been working Beverly Hills since about September and we've noticed there's just a ton of kids playing in the streets, playing on basketball goals and everything,” said Meadows. “They don't really have anything to do after school or anywhere to play, so we came out here. It's already city-owned property, so, why not put a playground back out here."

The playground would have the requisite slides and bars, but they'd also like some of the equipment to be educational.

"Where the kids can read all about spiders, read all about bees,” said Meadows. “They can kind of learn something while they're out here playing."

The land is surrounded by light industry and small businesses. Homes are a couple of blocks away.
Meadows and Thomas have talked with lots of kids about their idea.

"They thought it would be nice to have a playground in the area that they could possibly walk to that's within walking distance,” said Thomas.

And many business owners are supportive, too.

"If they live in this neighborhood they're not going to go across town to City Park,” said Gloria Blankenship, who owns Gloria's Hairstyling. “This would be a good opportunity for them if they put a park in."

The playground could cost about $30,000 to build, a wise investment, said Meadows and Thomas, in the children's future.

“Giving them somewhere to come out and play and have a safe haven to be at,” said Meadows, “it'll help them learn maybe the right things to do and keep them out of trouble."