Wet and wonderful
Bethel Park facility fun for all ages
Oh, to be young again. That thought crossed the mind of Rachel Lucarelli as she watched her husband, Anthony, and daughter, Emilia, play in Bethel Park’s new Splash Park.
“We never had anything like this when I was growing up,” said Lucarelli. “It’s fabulous and will be nice for Emilia to enjoy.”
Children of all ages, even adults, reveled in the facility during its grand opening over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Located on Park Avenue next to the community center, the Splash Park features various spray toys, a river component to float toys and other attractions. ADA-accessible, the park is a little over an acre in size and includes a snack stand as well as unisex, air-conditioned restrooms.
“It’s beautiful. Really nice,” said Tiffany Turner.
Turner grew up in Bethel Park and decided to raise her children in the municipality. She attended the opening day festivities with her daughter, Sadie, 5, and son, Roman, 7.
“Both kids can’t swim yet so this is perfect for them,” said Turner. “They can run around and see their friends. It’s good because there are plenty of things to do and the features they can control by themselves.”
Sadie agreed. She spent much of her day playing with friends, Josie Woleslagle, 4, and Maddy Tokarczyk,10, under the spray features that pumped out water in an umbrella-like arc.
“I like getting water on me,” Sadie said. “It’s fun. A good time.”
Josie added, “I love everything. I’m going to spend my summer here.”
Josie’s mom, Jenna, said the Woleslagle family will come to the Splash Park until Labor Day, when the facility is scheduled to close for the season. Jenna, who also has a 10-month-old son, purchased a membership, which she recommends, especially for residents.
“Because there are so many families, large families in Bethel Park, you can’t have enough family-friendly places,” Jenna said. “(Splash Park) is a catchall. It’s great that it’s for all ages. It accommodates infants and young toddlers. A wide array of ages,” she added. “So it’s nice they can all come and play together.”
The Sirianni family, like the Turners who “live right down the street,” said the Splash Park is conveniently located close to home. Hence, the clan, which includes parents Philip and Stephanie as well as siblings, Joey and Gloria, also purchased a season pass.
“We are members so we will be here all summer,” said Philip. “For sure, we are excited to spend it here because it’s a great facility and it’s nice to have this activity so close.”
Glen and Cyrus Cready also gave the facility two thumbs up for location and entertainment. They live within walking distance of the park.
“So, we will be here all of the time,” Glen said. “This is wonderful. (Splash Park) is going to be a great part of the community.”
Bethel Park officials were pleased to hear the resounding approval for the $3.5 million project. Through a 2018 study, the municipality learned that residents wanted a water feature. So, the Splash Park was incorporated into the strategic plan to upgrade all of the recreational facilities.
“With each park having its own unique attraction,” said council President John Oakes. “We worked hard to achieve that goal.”
Through community fund-raising efforts, all-star donors, municipal funding and two government grants from the state and the county, the project came to fruition. After a groundbreaking ceremony last April, many dignitaries returned on May 25 for a ribbon-cutting event for the grand opening of the facility.
State Rep. Natalie Mihalek along with Rep. Devlin Robinson were in attendance. Mihalek recalled how only a few years ago her son was playing baseball on the field that became the site for the Splash Park.
“I can’t believe what it looks like now. It’s awesome,” she said.
“This corridor is the center of town,” she continued of the area that includes the community center, fire station as well as the schoolhouse arts center and historical society. “It truly took a team effort and everybody working together to make this happen.”
Public works played a key role in the project. According to Lindsey Flynn, who chairs the public works committee on council, Susan Dolinar and her crew “worked months, days and hours” to make sure things run smoothly.
Chris Jackson was thrilled with the perfect weather conditions for opening day after he and other public works members completed all the landscaping and checks to make sure all the water features were in working order.
“This is something we have been looking forward to for five years,” he said while handing out balloons and rubber ducks to patrons. “We have been waiting to have this open for the community.”
Because he has a 7-year-old daughter, Jackson plans to bring her to the Splash Park on his days off.
“We will use it,” he assured. “This will be awesome for the community. It has a lot of cool features. Once they learn the different patterns, the older kids will love running from spot to spot. The little ones will love the lazy river feature. There is plenty of shade, a pavilion and a place to have parties.”
Regular Splash Park hours will be noon to 7 p.m. daily. There is earlier admission at 11 a.m. for seasonal members.
Memberships ($50 per household) and day passes ($3 per person, $5 nonresidents) are available at the community center. Memberships and/or passes must be purchased prior to visiting the Splash Park.
Visit www.bethelpark.net for more details on the facility, which is fully staffed with recreation seasonal employees.