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| Cody field on Cleveland Street |
Those who just happened to pass the Maurice Cody playground on Cleveland Street today (Thursday, November 21, 2013) beheld a joyous sight. The green artificial turf playing field is down and well on its way to completion. The field is the fulfillment of years of dreaming and arduous fundraising. Countless numbers of residents of Davisville Village will have contributed money and no doubt many good people from Leaside also dug deep, even though their kids go to other schools. Maurice Cody Junior Public School at 364 Belsize Drive has had this important neighborhood space on its north side behind the building since it was built in 1928. But it was perpetually either a mud hole or dust basin. Now, as these pictures show, the field will be a good-to-go playground, baseball diamond, soccer pitch and more. Steve Agnew of Ross and Anglin Contractors noted the field’s versatility. It will have an asphalt running track around the playing field and a sand pit for jumping sports. What you see at top inset is a sand sprinkling machine. Fine particles fall between the blades of artificial turf helping them to stay upright and simulating grass. In the same picture, the backstop for home plate is on the left. As to money, the final bill is unknown but an educated guess might easily put it over $400,000. In the spring, residents and businesses like Cobs, Tremblett’s Valumart and others had put together more than $50,000. That has no doubt grown over the summer and fall. Josh Matlow (Ward 22) negotiated a sum of $300,000 to be contributed by the city.
