Write a commentAfter the success of the Bridge Street Tree Canopy Restoration last year, Novelis Oswego and the Oswego Renaissance Association will partner again to make Oswego a better place to live, work and play.
Working closely with the City of Oswego Planning Director Amy Birdsall, and Sixth Ward Councilor Eric Van Buren, the ORA will use a grant from Novelis to provide nearly $40,000.00 in new, state-of-the-art playground equipment and landscaping for Washington Park on Oswego's East side.
“We are thrilled to announce our continued partnership with Novelis and the City of Oswego," Paul Stewart, director of the ORA, said. “The Novelis Grant will allow us to provide much needed upgrades to one of the city’s busiest parks and playgrounds.”
Stewart praised Novelis, who last year also made a large grant to the ORA to plant trees on Bridge Street.
“Novelis continues to be an outstanding corporate citizen and is clearly investing in the City of Oswego," Stewart said.
The Novelis Grant is part of the third annual One Novelis Volunteer month, an international initiative that encourages volunteerism across the globe. Novelis Oswego Employees will volunteer time and manpower to help step up and install the new equipment.
Eric VanBuren, Sixth Ward Councilman and Amy Birdsall, Planning and Zoning director for the City of Oswego, worked collaboratively with the ORA on the grant application, which requires planning and coordination with the City. According to Stewart, this collaboration was a major impact in the application’s success.
Van Buren recently completed two playground renovations in his ward. Birdsall brought in Brie Buske-Martinez, a regional sales representative of Kompan Playgrounds and an Oswego resident, to provide the playground equipment. Birdsall facilitated the landscape design portion of the application and will be coordinating the playground renovation project and landscape design through her office at City Hall.
