Cadman Plaza Park Opened -- But Not by Parks Department

Fire, Police, EMS Tear Down the Wall!



While groups of fun-loving locals have been climbing the sagging chain-link perma-barrier surrounding Cadman Plaza Park -- fenced off from the playing public by the Parks Dept. after installing artificial turf last year -- it took the combined efforts of the Fire Department, Police and EMS to "tear down the wall" this afternoon.

As families played baseball and young men kicked soccer balls on the new synthetic turf, a jogger trying to get into shape for summer overextended himself and collapsed. (Was this the "toxic" turf's first victim?)

Help was summoned and fire engines, police cars and two ambulances circled around -- and around -- the park, perplexed to find no official entrance. Eventually, wire cutters were pulled out and before you could say "Bob's my uncle" a grand new entrance was created.

The unfortunate jogger was taken to LICH and the multitudes of sun-loving ball players didn't have to climb out over the fence on the way home -- thanks to our uniformed services.









UPDATE: The Parks Department resealed the fence Monday -- but that didn't stop fun-seekers from climbing over the sagging section again to enjoy the grounds this week... Word is the park won't open officially until mid-May.

Photos by Brooklyn photojournalist MK Metz.