In 2010 the Springfield Community Garden was created. Located on Wabeno Avenue and close to a small stream shared with the Dayton athletic fields, it was put into action by Denise DeVone; chairperson of the Environmental Committee. She reached out to former mayor Ziad Shehady, who put her in touch with former town administrator Anthony Cancro. Pretty soon former township committee member Marc Krauss and former public works director Ken Homlish joined the project. The hope was that the garden would be a good place for residents to socialize and enjoy some gardening without having their own land to farm. It began with 6 big plots and more were soon added.
Right now there are currently no openings in the garden. Each plot is assigned to a resident and they have “first dibs” on returning the following year. If there is a vacancy, the information will be posted on the Springfield Environmental Commission, Green Team, and Springfield Gardeners Facebook pages.
The rules for the community garden are as follows:
- Nothing illegal may be planted.
- If your plants cause adverse skin reactions or overhang into the pathways, they will be trimmed or removed.
- Nothing impervious is allowed in the walkways
- No pesticides – exceptions are environmentally safe ones such as vinegar or soap.
“We have always been respectful of each other and our garden plots. We have also helped one another and enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow gardeners.”
-Denise DeVone
The next plan for that section of land was a playground. It was a passion project of Marc Krauss. He oversaw the planning from the very beginning. When the community garden was opened he spoke about his plan for a toddler playground, which was unveiled a year later in 2011. It has since been a great addition to the town and its residents.
A video of the park unveiling can be seen by clicking the link below, courtesy of Patch.com. The video includes Marc Krauss, former mayor Hugh Keffer, and Denise DeVone speaking of the park and community garden.
See Video Here Click the “Download the movie” link at end of article.
