MOUNT POCONO -- A children's park in the Poconos is getting some much needed sprucing up.
The playground behind borough hall in Mount Pocono is in such bad shape that the kids don't want to play there, but things should be a lot better by the end of the week.
With weeds growing as tall as the sign and the playground covered with even more, this children's park behind borough hall in Mount Pocono needs some sprucing up.
"I used to come here with my oldest and we loved it here and then this year is kind of a letdown," said Abby Drake of Cresco.
James McBride from Mount Pocono brought his granddaughter to play there, but she was too afraid to go on the playground once she saw all the weeds.
"Do a little touch-up," said McBride. "Most of the kids don't come out here anymore and I brought my granddaughter out and she doesn't even want to go over there."
Mayor Fred Courtright tells us the park has become a little bit of an embarrassment for Mount Pocono and neighbors complained. So the borough is spending $4,000 to fix it up.
"It's really important for us for two reasons. One, it's right behind borough hall and that reflects poorly on us when it looks this way, and also it's the only playground in the area for smaller kids," said Mayor Courtright.
The equipment on the playground is just fine but once you get away from it, there is a bunch of thistle growing around and that is what's dangerous and why the kids won't come and play.
The old mulch will be taken out and replaced with new special playground mulch and equipment will be spruced up. A metal fence will be removed and a new parking barrier installed.
It's a sign of relief for people like Abby Drake who has two little children.
"I would love to bring my kids here. I work right in Mount Pocono so it's so much easier to just come right down here."
The work is expected to be done by the end of the week, giving children plenty of time to enjoy the new playground for the rest of the summer.
