The Wurtsboro Board of Trade hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday afternoon welcoming new playground equipment to the park.

This equipment includes a slide and four swings.

“Many of our Board of Trade Events - if not all of them - are held here at the Park,” said Kelly DeGuzman, Vice-President of the Wurtsboro Board of Trade. “This makes this playground equipment really, really special to us.”

DeGuzman stated that the Board “really wanted to give something back.”

The upgrades to the park wouldn’t have been made possible without the grants opportunities from the Youth Bureau of Sullivan County, and sponsorship from the Wurtsboro Board of Trade and the Village of Wurtsboro.

Work on the installation started this past spring, with funding being secured over the summer. The next step in this venture was patience.

“Apparently, it takes some time to get playground equipment here,” said DeGuzman.

In late September, the equipment was finally installed.

“When I tell you it takes a Village, I think you know it really, really took a Village to get this together,” said DeGuzman.

Unveiling the new mural

In collaboration with Crystal Connection, located on Sullivan Street in Wurtsboro, artist Camila Arbelaez created a 4x16 foot mural that backdrops the equipment.

When asked if she could do such a mural, Arbelaez wanted to do a piece that demonstrated how the people of Wurtsboro and beyond all co-exist with one another as neighbors. The finished project took roughly 20 hours to complete.

“When I was brought this idea, the first thing that came to mind was the forest and animals cause that’s how I think of Wurtsboro when I think of the town and area,” Arbelaez told the Democrat. “It’s a playground for kids and kids connect with animals, the animals getting together - that’s what I see in the community. It was definitely a big project, but I enjoyed it.”

“This equipment is important because we hold many of our events here [in the park],” explained DeGuzman. 

“The youth come out here every Thursday in the summer. They need to have safe and inclusive playground equipment that lasts many, many years.”