[Mintwood-place] Kalorama's Concrete Picnic Table

[Eddie Becker]

Dear Matt,  Appreciate all your community work,  But I believe it unwise to replace the existing concrete picnic table in Kalorama Park with a modern one.  Sure it is more then 40 years old, but it is virtually indestructible.  It shows no signs of the people I've seen try to carve their initials in it, hammer on it (one time smashing parking meters on it),  build fires atop it, or just crush out lit cigarettes.. 
I doubt that the proposed replacement table made from plastic coated iron will hold up as well.  Even under "normal wear" the manufacture only gives it a 5 year limited warranty.   (See Regal Style Table, 145-1016 http://www.theparkcatalog.com/Customkititems.asp?kc=145-1016&eq=)

Your fear that the recently installed wooden seats might be made with arsenic preserved wood  is unlikely since they were installed after the recall.  But it would be prudent for DPR or the Karlorama Fund to spring for the $15-$25 arsenic test, as well as replace the two protruding screws heads on one of the seats.  

The DPR plans call for setting the picnic table on a concrete platform.  That is dangerous, since there is no backrest on the benches, I've seen toddlers loose their balance and tumble over backwards,  better to have soft mulch under and around the picnic table, rather then hard concrete.

But what I like best about the old concrete table is that it's quiet. I'm one of the hundred or so people who live within 50 yards of the table.   None of us complain about people using the table  as a drum set or some mindless drunk pounding on the table.  But I fear when the concrete is switched out to metal that will change.

Eddie Becker
  

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From: matt forman <matthew.forman2 at verizon.net>
To: Chris Version II.0 <chrisotten2 at yahoo.com>; AllforKaloramaPark at yahoogroups.com; Mintwood-place at lists.mutualaid.org
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 6:03:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Mintwood-place] [Fwd: Kal Park Mtg 6/17: Follow-up Report]

Chris - ...
 I'm trying to understand your eagerness to retain a concrete picnic set.  You say it's been around for 40 years, but actually, the bench seats broke apart years ago and have been replaced with splintering pine boards (likely pressure treated with arsenic, to poison neighborhood children), and protruding screw heads.  I think the city got its money's worth out of this one.  Isn't it time for replacement?
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