New Graham Elementary Play Park Opens With Community Ribbon Cutting

MOUNT VERNON, NY - From the desk of the Mount Vernon City School District: Under sunny, blue skies and a few wispy clouds Graham Elementary School was the star of the show with a ribbon-cutting to open its new, expansive park and play area. The ribbon cutting marked another successful project near completion as part of the Mount Vernon City School District’s $108 million bond, which was passed in March 2016 and is powering the school district’s 20/20 Vision.

Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton, Superintendent of Schools, was joined by Lesly Zamor, President of the Board of Education; Adriane G. Saunders, Vice President of the Board of Education; Dr. Natasha Hunter-McGregor, Graham Principal; Richard Thomas, City Mayor; and Nadine McKenzie, mother of Shamoya McKenzie.

Graham now has a park adjacent to the building that includes a new soccer field with artificial turf, basketball court, three playground equipment stations; two oval walking paths, and raised garden beds as well as new landscaping and a new parking lot. Inside, there are new interior hallway doors, a newly renovated auditorium and a new middle school science lab. This summer, the school district will begin work on a new main entrance, offices, main floor corridor and stairwell, and lockers. The work will be complete in the fall. There is also more work being done to repair the failed exterior building cornice, walkways, existing fencing and sidewalks.

“Our top goal is to improve what happens behind the walls in our schools with the education of our students, but to become excellent at that we must also be a source of community pride and developing Graham School as a center in this community was very important,” said Superintendent Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton. “We have more work that needs to be done at Graham this summer, but this project will hopefully be a source of pride for residents in this neighborhood.”

The occasion also marked the unveiling of a marble park bench dedicated to the memory of Graham student Shamoya McKenzie, who would have graduated next week to become a high schooler. Dignitaries expressed their sympathies and spoke of finding a more peaceful city from Shamoya’s tragic death on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve in downtown Mount Vernon. She had hopes of playing for UConn and the WNBA. The bench was donated by Trusco Construction.

“We want to thank everyone for the support,” Nadine McKenzie. “And we know Mount Vernon is going to be a better Mount Vernon. Thank you so much.”

Image via Mount Vernon City School District