A concerned Northeast resident called us this past week after she saw something unusual take place in Sheffield Park (between Ewing and Winchester avenues at 12th Street).
She reported a construction crew — presumably a contractor with the city Parks and Recreation Department — had poured a concrete slab in the park two weeks ago. Her curiosity was piqued — would it be a shelter house? A playground? A tennis court? Then, this past week, the crew returned and tore the slab back up.
She called us to see if we knew anything that could shed light on this mysterious behavior. We called Parks and Recreation, and it turns out that, in fact, Sheffield Park is set to receive a new playground. However, the contractor did not pour the base for the playground to the specifications the Parks Department laid out.
At no cost to the city, the contractor is starting over. According to a Parks spokesperson, the playground was a part of a package that was supposed to be completed by the end of September. Due to the setback, it may take a bit longer.
A teacher at Della Lamb charter school has been accused of taping the mouth of a first-grader.
The charter school’s first-grade and kindergarten centers are located here in Northeast at 500 Woodland Ave. No charges were filed in the case, although the teacher has been suspended without pay.
We’re sure every teacher has had the impulse to tape a chatty student’s mouth now and again, but it’s certainly not appropriate, especially if the student is just 6 years old. The Northeast News was awaiting a return phone call from a Della Lamb representative as of press deadline.
