Scranton Park Now a Reality

By Stuart Wilson

After years of planning, raising capital, and purchasing land in Central George Town, the long awaited and highly anticipated Scranton Park was officially opened by a host of dignitaries, community organisers and well-wishers on August 1st.

An original purchase of land by the Honourable Kurt Tibbetts was the precursor to further purchases initiated by George Town Central MP, the Honourable Kenneth Bryan, who brought the dream to life and whose vision ultimately made the park into what it is today.

During his remarks on the day, Mr Bryan noted: “Today is significant because we are not only celebrating the opening of a spectacular new park. We are also marking the provision of two facilities that I hope will become a part of the soul of this community.”

He explained that the first; the Frank McField Youth Center, was named in honour of one of Cayman’s most respected sociologists and community leaders and noted that the Lucille Seymour Senior’s Center also located in the park, were particularly special because of both their contributions, commitment, and service to the Central George Town community.

Mrs. Seymour served as a member of Parliament and as a teacher for many years and is one of George Town’s most decorated and celebrated daughters.

Mr. Bryan said the day represented the fulfillment of a vision that has been shared by the community for many decades and explained that the Park will be a place where people from every generation can come together to learn, play, exercise, celebrate and simply enjoy spending time with one another the real Caymanian way.

“This project has always been about the people of George Town and the people of the Cayman Islands,” said Mr Bryan, who added that it was never about simply constructing buildings or laying pathways, but instead about investing in a community and creating opportunities that would benefit generations of Caymanians for time to come.

He explained that the park would not be just another green space but rather a place filled with the sound of children laughing as they played together and built memories; a place where young people could gather safely after school to enjoy sports and recreation and build lifelong friendships; a place where parents and grandparents can spend quality time with their families; a place where seniors can come together to enjoy one another’s company and share good old Caymanian stories, celebrate special occasions, and continue being an important part of our community and not be forgotten.

“Today ,as I look around I am filled with pride. Every pathway, every tree, every bench, every building and every open space has been thoughtfully designed to reflect who we are as a Caymanian community.

“I am honoured to say that I kept the promise that I made to the people of Central George Town,” he remarked.

The multi-purpose court at the park which will be used for basketball, five-a-side football, netball, and pickleball will be known as the Maxwell A. Seymour Multi-Purpose Court.

Mr Bryan said the court was named in honour of the late ‘Mackie’ Maxwell Seymour who had a deep and abiding love for sport and contributed to the development of many athletes and organisations.

The park also features a calisthenics outdoor fitness section for people of all ages. Additionally, all of the buildings and restroom facilities have been designed with wheelchair access.

The ponds at the park will provide natural drainage for the surrounding area, which Mr. Bryant said was a top priority. It also features the wishing well built over a natural spring that was used by the Scranton community for well over one hundred years.

“Preserving features like this reminds us that while we continue to build for the future, we must never lose sight of our past,” said Mr. Bryan, who also lauded the massive sculpture created for the park by Caymanian Artist Al Ebanks.

Dr. Frank McField told the audience that he wanted to thank the community for its recognition and added that his wish would be for the park to have the proper structure to be able to entice and encourage young people. He explained that human infrastructure is just as important as all of the other components.

Mrs. Lucille Seymour pointed out that the area is surrounded by some of the most prime real estate and said she hoped that the people in the surrounding buildings would continue to be great neighbours.

“It’s not about me; it’s about who I was, who I am and what I’ve done,” she declared.

Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, Jay Ebanks, noted that he especially enjoyed seeing the wide cross-section of Caymanians who came out to see the park officially opened and said he was honoured to work with Mr. Bryan in bringing the park to reality.

“Already, MPs from other districts are asking for something similar,” he said.

The Minister explained that when he met with the community’s District Committee, he knew it was important to let Mr. Bryan take the lead, knowing that no matter when the park was finished, that would be the right time.

A Caymanian flag was then raised at the park and will be flown there as a permanent fixture.