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The Civic Scene: Civics plan to renovate Cunningham Park

By Bob Harris

For months the West Cunningham Park Civic Association Inc., which borders the western side of Cunningham Park, and the Friends of Cunningham Park, a general group of civic-minded people, have been pressuring all who would listen to renovate the park, which is very heavily used and has become rundown.

Even at this time of the year the park is in use. The hundreds of daily walkers and joggers keep mostly to the paved paths. Then there are the dog walkers and occasional people who walk on the grass and eroded places.

Yes, this is what a park is for but the decades have caused many bare spots and exposed roots.

This has been recognized by all officials who have looked at the park but the large amount of money needed to renovate and improve the land has not been appropriated although Community Board 8 has made this renovation its No. 2 capital budget item for several years.

By March the heavy usage had started. The Catholic church held a millennium prayer service to which only a couple of thousand people came but it is some wear and tear. They set their sound system a little loud and some people were annoyed at the loud music which they did not expect on a Saturday morning in March.

The next week the fraternities and sororities from St. John