LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For kids living near Cashman Park, construction is about to disrupt a vital place for them to play and enjoy being a kid.
The park will be closed soon to make way for the new Cashman Middle School to be built there.
I found out about the solution Clark County has come up with so these kids still have a place to safely enjoy their summer.
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When I visited Cashman Park, near Sirius Avenue and Cameron Street, I could hear the joyful laughter and cheers of kids at play.
Kenisha Stewart, whose son was playing at the park, told me it's a place for everyone in the neighborhood to unwind and soak in some fresh air.
"I see a lot of people here, a lot of cookouts," Stewart said.
But this summer, those community members will have limited access to the park as construction begins on the new Cashman Middle School.
The campus will be built where the park currently is, and kids looking for a place to play will have to walk nearly a mile to reach the nearest park.
"A lot of these apartment complexes don't have community resources," Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones told me. "They don't have their own park; they don't have their own playgrounds, so Cashman has really been the place for them to hang out. So losing the park is tremendously detrimental for the community over here."
Jones tells me the county has a solution for these kids. For the first time ever, the county will offer a summer camp for kids impacted by the construction. It will be a four-week program where kids will be able to play sports and games and also receive academic opportunities.
"I think it's wonderful," Stewart said. "It gives the kids a place to go, a place to stay out of trouble, so I think it's a good thing."
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Jose Hernandez tells me the new summer camp will not only provide a safe place to have fun, but it could also strengthen Metro's bond with the community.
"When we are taking away an area that serves so many youth, right, we have to keep them engaged, involved in positive things," Hernandez said. "We want to continue to have those interactions with the children, make sure that we continue to build the community trust."
Stewart tells me she plans to sign her children up for the program.
The county has not yet released a start date for the summer program, but Commissioner Jones says you can reach out to his office to learn more about it.
