Firefly Field to open Saturday

Access and activities for all ages at new park, By Nick Troiano MATAMORAS — They had never seen anything like it. During a trip to their daughter’s town in Connecticut during the fall of 2007, Joe Sr. and Ronnie Biondo visited a local playground that inspired them. “It was inclusive to all children,” Ronnie recalls. “I was thrilled to see the entire space was wheelchair accessible.” The Biondos wanted to bring it home with them. Sure enough, under two years later, Firefly Field at Matamoras Airport Park will open on Saturday, July 25. A 10 a.m. dedication is invite-only, and the playground will be open to the public at noon. That’s welcome news this summer for the 5,000, two-to-12-year-olds and the 700 special needs children in the Tri-State Area. “Let’s go! Nine more days to go” Ronnie exclaims, providing words of encouragement to the half-dozen workers at the playground last week, where she and her husband gave the Courier a sneak peek. The couple has played an active role in Firefly Field’s construction. From their Matamoras home, the Biondos walk to the park each evening to check on its progress, feeling reassured when they see curious children standing at the fence, eager for the day when it will be open. They say so far, it has already exceeded their expectations. “It’s terrific, but it will be a lot better when we see children utilizing it,” Joe Sr. said. He said his hope is for the playground not only to be a place to have fun but also foster a better understanding between children of different abilities. Over $100,000 was raised at a home fundraiser last year, with the remaining costs underwritten by Ingeborg A. Biondo Foundation. “And that number will die with us,” Joe Sr. says, whose late wife is the namesake of the foundation. Firefly Field will carry on Ingeborg’s legacy of working with challenged children. Some 50 elements of the playground sit on 1.2 acres of land donated by the Matamoras Recreation Board. The labyrinth of slides, swings, tunnels and interactive games was designed by Scott Eck, whom Ronnie says “has been masterful in creating [their] vision.” For his part, a unique feature of the playground that houses a sandpit and digging toys will be named the “Eck’scavating Pit.” Children with disabilities can have nearly the same experience as others. A wide ramp leads up to a platform with a lookout and slides. “Wheelchair-bound children can have the feeling of height they otherwise don’t normally get,” Ronnie said. The playground will also feature new bathroom facilities. And that might not be all. Phase II is currently in planning. “I’d like to see some other things-like a water-park,” Joe Sr. said. Ronnie was quick to rephrase, “a splashpad; we’d like to see a splashpad.” For the Biondos, it has been an exciting process to bring their dreams alive.