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RIDGELY – If a picture is worth a thousand words, an alternative design for Dream City Park may be worth an extra $13,000, if local support can be generated to help pay for an enhanced toddler play area proposed design in Martin Sutton Memorial Park in Ridgely.
The brainchild of Patrice Flamer has gained momentum since it was given the green light by the Ridgely Town Commissioners in August 2024. Her nonprofit organization Spirit and Mind Inc. was awarded a $99,000 grant in July 2024 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to make improvements to Martin Sutton Memorial Park.
The purpose of the grant is to create a “Dream City Project” play area geared to children two to five years old, including those who are disabled.
“All of this is sitting really low to the ground, so now parents don't have to be standing up to make sure (small children) don't fall,” said Spirit and Mind grant coordinator Lakia Pierce, who presented two designs at the April 7 Ridgely Town Commission meeting.
The cost of materials, play equipment and installation fall within the original grant amount. The extra cost of another $13,000 would pay for an enhanced design.
The enhanced design, which features a two-tone blue, “poured-in-place rubber system for surfacing” features sea creature silhouettes for added “play value,” according to Recreation Specialist George Blevins of All Recreation, based in Ashburn, Virginia.
“When we saw this design, Patrice fell in love with it. I fell in love with it,” Pierce said. “However, this does take the project over budget. As you know, the state is in a deficit, so all the grants that were rolling out the past two years, the majority of them are not coming this year.”
Pierce said another grant may be available, but she asked the commissioners if a portion of leftover Covid pandemic money could be donated. The goal is to begin installing the play area by June. Blevins said the project would take eight to 10 weeks to complete, depending on the weather.
Meeting attendees spontaneously offered support for the enhanced design.
Commissioner Brad Sears offered his expertise as a project manager. Jerry Sutton said Ridgely Lions Club may be able to donate funds. And Ridgely Pharmacy owner Brenda Walls said the pharmacy would make a donation.
“Thank you for listening and hearing us, and I can't wait for us to get this project started together,” Pierce said.
The original grant application was backed by a letter of support from the Ridgely Commissioners in April 2024. The grant was one of 32 Community Health and Safety Works Program grants totaling more than $2.5 million awarded to programs in six Maryland counties and Baltimore City. Spirit and Mind Inc. was the only Caroline County organization to receive a 2024 grant.
“It’s important to me because kids have fallen off the big playground equipment,” Flamer, who is legally blind and has no children of her own, said in July 2024. A former resident of Ridgely who lives in Denton, Flamer said, “I want to give back to the community, to the kids.”
For more information about Spirit and Mind Inc. and how you can support Patrice Flamer’s work and mission, visit her Facebook page, Spirit and Mind Incorporated.
