Stockton Playground Left In Disarray, Officials Don't Have Answers
STOCKTON (CBS13) — A playground in Stockton has been abandoned after the park was damaged by vandals more than a year ago.
Tears in the rubber, boards on structures, and chains holding some of the pieces together. That's the scene at Van Buskirk park.
Stockton mom Marlene Young said the playground at Van Buskirk Municipal Park has been this way for years.
"It's just depleted. It's depressing," Young said. "They just boarded it up. No swing sets. No baby swing sets. We really want our park to be fixed and we've been ignored."
She said she's been trying for weeks to reach someone at the parks and recreation department.
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We can relate. For the last two days, CBS13 has been working to get answers about how long the park has been this way and why, but we were told the director was in meetings all day long and did not have even five minutes to talk on the phone.
We also reached out to police, public works, and even the mayor about the park. But when pressed for how long the park has been this way and why no one could give an exact answer.
Councilmember Jesus Andrade didn't even know. He did say vandals hit the park about a year ago.
It's damage Marlene Young wants to be fixed quickly so her baby and other neighborhood kids can once again play on the playground.
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"The parks are the only thing for kids to have an outlet. They can run around," Young said.
Spokespeople for public works and the mayor say a fix is on the way.