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Northport’s Scudder Beach is kid tested and mother approved.
Village of Northport Trustee Dave Weber Jr. on Wednesday unveiled the new playground equipment installed on the sandy shore of Scudder Beach.
New blue attractions replaced the park’s rusty swings, run-down spring ride-ons and a merry-go-round that hardly went round.
“We knew we needed to replace a lot of equipment,” Weber said. “The salt water, the salt air, it’s a harsh environment, so it definitely does some damage with rust and whatnot.”
The renovations at Scudder Beach are among the many completed or underway at Northport’s parks. New equipment was erected at Northport Park and Soper Park, and plans are in development for beautification, textured turf and a new basketball court at Cow Harbor Park.
Weber said Village of Northport Mayor Damon McMullen secured $750,000 in federal funds through Congressman Tom Suozzi’s office for such capital projects as the renovations at Scudder Beach and those yet to come to Cow Harbor Park.
‘A hidden gem’
As Weber addressed the handful of parents and grandparents at the park, their children and grandchildren played on the slide, kicked around a soccer ball and sat in the park’s mammoth-sized Adirondack chair.
“I think the park has a lot to offer,” Donna Koch, a former village clerk running for mayor this month, said as she pushed Margot, her 18-month-old granddaughter, on a swing. “I think it’s a hidden gem in the Village of Northport.”
Meghan Dolan, a village trustee candidate, said Cow Harbor Park’s renovations, particularly replacing the sand with turf, will improve the amenity for parents with strollers. The mother of three said she hopes the slate of park improvements are the first of many projects and activities that appeal to Northport’s youth.
“I’m so excited about all of it,” Dolan said, as her middle child, John, played with a friend at Scudder Park. “We have an influx of young families, so it’s important to have their voices heard also.”
Now, the hope is to introduce these new families to Scudder Beach.
“This really is a beautiful beach, underutilized by residents because this isn’t in the heart of town. It’s off the path a little bit, and maybe a lot of residents don’t know about it,” Weber said. “I welcome everybody to come down and take a look.”
“Families can know that a day in Northport will be fun,” he added.
