'Some Of These Facilities Can Be Used Responsibly': Cranberry Park Begins To Reopen While Other Places, Like Pittsburgh, Have No Plan To Reopen Playgrounds Or Pools
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - The sun was bright, the day was perfect and Rebecca and Rick Stark couldn't believe their eyes when they arrived at Graham Park in Cranberry and found the tennis courts open.
"We've come anyway but we've been limited to walking and that sort of thing," Rich Stark said as he stood on the open court. "We've seen the doors closed and wished it would open up, and so today's the day first time we came and saw it was open."
In fact the "now open" signs were all over the park from the basketball and bocce courts to the deck hockey and more.
"We really believe that some of these facilities can be used responsibly," says Pete Geis, the Director of the Cranberry Parks and Recreation.
The exercise and playground equipment is still cordoned off, and Geis says mitigation efforts are still needed.
"You know, wear your mask, follow everything the governor is saying," he says. "We want everybody to stay healthy but get outside and get healthy, start exercising and enjoying the community."
Other municipalities KDKA's John Shumway checked with are holding off a bit longer before reopening.
The City of Pittsburgh has no plans to remove the caution tape from its playground equipment and no schedule to reopen the swimming pools. Allegheny County Health Deptartment Director Dr. Debra Bogen says wading pools and spray parks need to remain closed.
In North Park, the playground equipment never shut down. Crews have been disinfecting the equipment on a regular basis.
North Park pool is so far empty, but it's staffing that Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says could be the biggest issue.
"I guess we're going to evaluate that," he says. "It is going to be difficult getting enough trained lifeguards. We have very big pools and its going to be challenging whether it can happen or not. We'll have to see."
Fitzgerald says part of the issue for the county and the city is that up until last Friday, the direction from the state was that no pools should open this summer. That changed with the governor's announcement last week, but the needed prep work and hiring for pool operations has not been done.
Bottom line: the pools will not be opening anytime soon.
