Final Days Near for Cranberry’s Playtime Palace

Work will begin soon on the new Cranberry Kids Castle. Here’s how to get involved.

The end of Playtime Palace is near. April 20 through April 22 marks the end of Cranberry Township's beloved wooded playground at Community Park.   Disassembly of the 22-year-old play structure will take place that weekend along with 5K and 1-mile races to support the Kids Castle, a larger and more varied replacement playground to be built nearby, a statement from the township said.   Organizers of the project are inviting everyone who has ever used Playtime Palace to join in the Kids Castle races starting at 9:05 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Groundbreaking for the new playground and the unveiling of its 'TODAY' section— the community-build portion of the playground with designs based on drawings by 3,500 local students—will take place at 8:55 …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Jessica Sinichak

11:00 am on Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hey Deb, donations can be made via PayPal or check on the Cranberry Township Community Chest website http://www.ctcchest.org/   more ›

A Sneak Peek at Some of the Play Features at the New Cranberry Kids Castle Playground

The new playground at Cranberry Community Park will feature lots of unique structures designed to pique your child's imagination.

Goodbye Playtime Palace, Hello Cranberry Kids Castle

Plans are in the works to raze the wooden play structure at Cranberry Community Park and replace it with a new, innovative play area.

When Playtime Palace opened in Cranberry's Community Park more than 20 years ago, it was known as the region’s premier playground destination. “It was our signature community asset,” said Cranberry Supervisor Chairman Bruce Mazzoni. Cranberry CUP founder Cathy Cortazzo recalled taking her twins, now age 25, from their home in Economy to Cranberry to play on the community-built palace. “I loved taking them there,” she said. But time and usage have taken its toll on the wooden structure. With maintenance issues that include decaying support posts, splitting wood, sharp edges and insect infestation, the structure has earned the nickname “Splinter Palace” from some users.  The castle-like playground also does not meeting current safety …

•  9 Comments
• Photos (3)

Get to Know the Cranberry Township Lions Club

The organization is holding steak fry at Cranberry Community Park

While the Cranberry Township Lions Club has been serving the area for 29 years, the group always is looking for ways to become more familiar to residents. The organization is holding a “Get to Know the Cranberry Township Lions Club” steak fry starting at 6 p.m. tonight (Sept. 11) at the Lions’ Shelter in Cranberry Community Park. The special guest speaker for Tuesday’s event is Butler County Commissioner William McCarrier. To date, the Cranberry Lions have raised and distributed more than $250,000 to help the visually impaired and people in need, both locally and worldwide, according to the organization. The Cranberry Lions gather the second and fourth Tuesday of every month for a dinner and meeting at the North Park Lounge in Cranberry. …

• Photos (1)

‘Scene’ at Cranberry Community Days

Were you at the celebration? Upload your photos to this article.

Despite some cloudy skies, the rain held off long enough Thursday evening to let folks enjoy the first day of Cranberry Community Days at Cranberry Community Park. “We come every year to see what’s new and exciting,” said Allison Hickenboth, who attended the festival with her three children. Sponsored by Cranberry Township Community Chest, the event celebrating the area's nonprofits continues Friday and ends Saturday with a fireworks display. In between, there will be games, rides, a carnival, concerts and more. At 8:30 a.m. Saturday, there is the Run For Your Library 5K and One Mile Fun Run. The annual Lions Pancake Breakfast also takes place Saturday morning. If you’re attending the event, don’t forget to stop by the Cranberry Patch …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (31)

Cranberry CUP Set to Top $1 Million, Will Replace Park Palace Playground

The nonprofit expands its services to community projects.

Since Cathy Cortazzo founded it 12 years ago, Cranberry Community Uniting People has raised nearly $1 million to support local families in need and other worthy causes. This year, the nonprofit organization is set to top that amount and expand its services. At last week’s Cranberry Board of Supervisors meeting, Cortazzo said the nonprofit would be a major contributor to replace Playtime Palace at Community Park, the 2012 project of the year for the Cranberry Township Community Chest. The Community Chest’s 2011 project is a monument at the still-under-construction fishing pond at Graham Park that will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Cortazzo said the wooden Playtime Palace, built in 1990, has …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

The Race for Virginia and Friends: The Final Year

The 5K run/walk has raised nearly $500,000 for pediatric cancer research over the last 10 years.

Folks from around the Cranberry community kicked off the Fourth of July with the annual Race for Virginia and Friends at the Cranberry Community Park. This is the 10th and final year for the event, which honors Virginia Clark, who died from a childhood cancer called neuroblastoma just after her 9th birthday. Since it began in 2002, the race has raised more than  $400,000 for the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The final race also was held in memory of all the children with cancer who had been honored at the event over the last 10 years. Check back with Cranberry Patch Tuesday for a full story and more photos from the event.

• Photos (9)