Brower Park

The Daily Plant : Thursday, June 17, 2004

SEASHELLS MEET SLINKY SLIDES IN CROWN HEIGHTS’ BROWER PARK

On Tuesday, June 15, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined Council Member Al Vann, Brooklyn Children’s Museum President Carol Enseki, and three classes from next-door P.S. 289 to celebrate the opening of the freshly renovated Brower Park in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. The spacious park was outfitted with seashell inspired play equipment, which Commissioner Benepe happily tried out. In addition to new play equipment, Brower Park received safety surfacing, a new spray shower, an African thumb piano, green trees and shrubs, and new pavement, fencing, lighting, and benches.

With the sun shining brightly overhead and jazz music playing softly in the background, Council Member Vann, who allocated $908,000 for the playground’s renovation, reminded the children, "People who vote put people in power who do good things for the community." Commissioner Benepe and the other speakers encouraged the children to care for the park, with Robert Matthews, Chair of Community Board 8, encouraging the students to emulate police officers and stop other kids from putting litter or graffiti in the playground.

Commissioner Benepe closed the speaking portion of the ceremony with what he described as "a random act of silliness." He sang the lead part in the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme song, while first, third, and fourth graders from P.S. 289 responded in chorus.

Situated adjacent to P.S. 289 and home to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brower Park’s playground is part of the seven-acre site named for former Brooklyn Parks Commissioner John Brower. It was purchased by the City of Brooklyn in 1892 and was originally named Bedford Park. The playground design is in thematic harmony with the museum. The new playground features a traditional African thumb piano, echoing the museum’s thumb piano collection, and a seashell spray shower, inspired by a seashell exhibit in the museum. Tom Cleveland was the Project Designer for the new playground and Hicham Osman was the Resident Engineer.

Written by Ebony Simpson

As celebrations were underway in the new Brower Park, Brooklyn Climbers & Pruners Raymond John and William Cleveland were removing a dead tree down the street. Upon cleaving apart its heavy trunk, they discovered a nest of recently born chicks. Almost immediately, Raymond, John, and the birds were surrounded by curious press officers on their way back to the Arsenal. Following the advice of the Urban Park Rangers, Raymond and William placed the delicate birds and their nest in a nearby tree so their mother could easily find them. Raymond and William demonstrated the good will and concern for the natural world that define the culture of Parks & Recreation.

"Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they
have never failed to imitate them."

James Baldwin
(1924-1987)