Editorial-Aug. 2, 2007

New city park prime lesson in teamwork

By: Mae Rhine
   Connaught Hill is a prime example of how Lambertville residents can work together to get something done for the good of the city.
   Once a new park on Connaught Hill is completed, it will show how far that once-deteriorated area has come, thanks to the residents of the area as well as city officials.
   It once was a haven for drug dealers. Now, discarded tires, abandoned cars and school buses have been removed, and drug dealers don’t frequent the area.
   The city removed the tires and vehicles, and Boy Scouts helped residents clean up trash and debris.
   Now the city is paying a contractor to demolish an abandoned structure to clear the way for a new pocket park, which will include playground equipment and, maybe, a basketball court.
   The hill’s residents banded together in 2000 as the Connaught Hill Homeowners Association and presented a wish list to the city for the area’s cleanup.
   Once the cleanup was completed, the city consulted the association again as the park was being planned.
   As one of the organizers, Audrey Frankowski said, "The park is not just a park. It’s a celebration of what we’ve been able to do."