New spray park to open at Elwood Park
A rendering of the new Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park at the Town of Huntington's Elwood Park Credit: Town of Huntington
Marilyn Soriano, 8, is looking forward to the July 11 grand opening of a new spray park in the Town of Huntington’s Elwood Park — she wants to run through the hoops spraying water like a tiger leaping through hoops of fire at a circus.
“It looks cool because it has the circles that the water comes out of,” Marilyn says. “It looks cool to run through the bottom of them.”
The Sergeant Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park is named for the New York Police Department sergeant and Greenlawn dad who was shot and killed responding to a 911 call in the Bronx in 2016. In addition to the water hoops, the park features a water tower painted with the NYPD letters. It’s the only spray park in the town, says town public information officer Lauren Lembo.
The water is controlled by users pushing a button to start the flow. It will be open weekdays from 12:30 to 8 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Aug. 10, Lembo says. It will then be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Children younger than 13 will be able to use the spray park with a parent or guardian’s town recreation photo ID, which costs $20 for two years. Non-residents may purchase a non-resident ID card for access; those cost $50 for one year, Lembo says.
Marilyn’s dad, Mario, 28, a cook in a restaurant, says both Marilyn and his son, Lukas, 5, will enjoy playing in the water. “The park already is beautiful; with this, it’s going to be a lot better,” he says.
Elwood Park is on Cuba Hill Road. For more information, call 631-351-3000 or visit huntingtonny.gov.
