Norwich bulletin., 1914-05-12
PLAYGROUND SURVEY REPORT
Made by Field Secretary Norh-Advises Chiden's Play ground and Boys Playground at Lake In Other Places Recommended Trained Director Ne cessiy.

| games, The field house is eventually . necessity, unless school building IS adjacent. Owing. to the location of the Lake street ground, it would seem advisable to properly surface. beau 4 tify and equip 1t as a model play ground. Tn the grading it's use as a sprayer ice surface in winter should be Considered
 The Play Park.
 The play park. is without question l the best and most useful product of | the recreation movement in American cities. High authorities have pro- nounced these play the most ! significant municipal development of l the last quarter century. Such park | should be centrally located, and should contain ten acres or more, making it l possible to have upon it's different parts I al 1of the outdoor facilities mentioned for the play of children, i the sports of youth and adults, with l separate grounds for the girls and wo- men. This means recreation-cen- ter for all members of the family. In such park there should eventually l be. erected a building with indoor gym nasium, social rooms, and the equip ment that goes with a fully developed year-round center. The establishment I of such a center is gradual develop l ment starting with the outdoor fea- l lures. The improvement Of Hollyhock l Island would produce such a center J in Norwich. It is in just the right l location, when bridges are construct ed on either side of the Yantic river. l Two of Bostons best playgrounds are | on made ground, resulting from the same kind of filling being carried on above the dump"
 l sNeighborhood recreation centers" in school buildings, now exist in many American cities. A closed school building is an unused asset in g. neigh borhoed where the people need useful | activities and good social recreations. ! Several districts in Norwich have this | need. The best plan would be to start | a typical center in one district, such | as Greeneville, or the Falls, with ac- l tivities suited to the needs of the district This could serve as a type in other parts of the city. Good lead ership must be assured to make a suc- | cess of this useful method of improv- 1 ing social conditions.
 Needs That Are Apparent 1 Other fundamental activities
 which are apparent needs in Norwich are swimming and bath | ing, better and more general | use of the water front, and the rec-
 reative uses of Mohegan park. Com- mercial amusements are attracting so many people that high standards need
 to be maintained.
 Recommendations Summarized.
 The first need in Norwich is the | provision for the permanence of the recreation system. There are three es-
 sentials-a trained year-round super intendent. regular and adequate funis !, for supervision, and the continu ,,l l ing such superintendent in his work. In order to insure regular support the movement should be publicly SUD-
 ported. Most cities are placing play | and recreation centers under the school committee, the park, or spec ial recreation commission.
 The Next Steps in Improving Recrea- ton Facilities.
 The following suggestions are made
 recreation facilities in the immsdie e
 fu,ure.
 1 A typical "children's playground''
 and boys playground at Lake
 street.
 9 A model schoolyard playground | sclioclysrds. Possibly the best plan | wOuld be to do this at the !tarl St-'eet school and at the Falls school The organization If a typical tr-
 ganized playfield with a trained di- rector. Playfields should be obtain
 ed in other districts as well. The typ l 1cal field might be located at Greene vile (available grounds on Main street
 or Central avenue) or in the central l part of the city (by the use of the
 Academy grounds in the summer if | they could be secured).. A good loca- .
 tion on the West Side has been sug-
 gested in West Main street. The field at Mohegan park, and at the
 Falls. should be left for voluntary use
 until other fields closer in are organ 1 ized
 Fairgrounds should be conducted
 the year round on certain school yards and fields for youth should be
 organized in the same way when
 funds are available. It is the cus-
 tom in many cities to have organized
 playgrounds in schoolyards for an | hour after school, in spring and fall
 and on Saturdays. In addition prop
 CT provision is made for ska ting, coast
 ing, and other winter sports, the chill
 dre-. and young people will have ade-
 Quate outdoor opportunities through out the year.
 | The embodiment of physical cul-
 ture in the schools will bring with il l better organization of the daily re-
 cess. This short period can be well
 recess is we'll developed by the school
 authorities.
 6 Norwich is peculiarly bereft oi good opportunities for swimming
 one of the best forms of exercise that
 exists The Y NJ C. A. has at times | II
 the park. With a reasonable increase
 of it's popularity permanent master
 should be on duty from June 18th tc
 September 18th. The pollution of the
 rivers makes their use inadvisable al
 present, but there is possibly some
 way out of providing other swimming centerS.
 Future Development of Recreation Fa- II cilities.
 Among the matters which nigh
 well be taken uphin the development | of an adequate recreation system il Norwich, are the following:
 1 The improvement of Hollyhock Is.
 land as 8 central play park.
 Additional children's playground | to meet the needs of other neighbor- hoods. (The present playgrounds are
 Pearl Street and Thamesville schools on the West Side, at Lake Street play
 ground, Hobart Avenue school, Falls l school, and in Greeneville). In ad- | difinn fo afh ho,