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Police: Hammer wielding man arrested in West Hazleton

State expects to finish review of Wilkes-Barre Area School District finances soon

Lace up your favorite sneakers, senior citizens.To help you stay fit and have fun, communities such as West Pittston, hopefully soon to be joined by others in our region, plan to install senior playgrounds &#8211; places reminiscent of where you probably spent your school recesses. These sites differ, however, in that the equipment and games are geared for a slightly lower-intensity workout. Picture stationary bicycles and bocce rather than a towering set of monkey bars and a rapid-fire round of four square.West Pittston Councilwoman Judy Aita stumbled upon the notion for a senior playground while on the Internet, then took the idea to her council colleagues. They recently agreed to apply for a state grant that would cover half the playground&#8217;s cost. If built, it will become the borough&#8217;s third exercise park, joining one designed for kids and one for dogs, according to Times Leader writer Jimmy Fisher&#8217;s <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/517924/west-pittston-borough-applying-for-dcnr-grant-to-construct-senior-playground" target="_blank">article this month</a>.First popularized in China almost two decades ago, the senior playground concept has since hopscotched to Japan, Europe and Canada. At least 15 cities in the United States, including Harrisburg, reportedly have joined the trend.SeniorPlanet.org, where the catchphrase is &#8220;aging with attitude,&#8221; published an August 2015 article titled &#8220;Playgrounds for Seniors Coming Your Way&#8221; outlining the purpose behind the proliferation of senior-suited recreation areas. &#8220;The best installations help to improve balance and minimize the risk of falls, build muscle strength and tone, extend your range of motion, and improve your manual dexterity,&#8221; the article stated.Beyond these health benefits, which potentially can allow people to live better, if not longer, advocates suggest the playgrounds also can help users to age well emotionally by serving as sites to socialize (and potentially stave off loneliness and depression) and relieve stress (much like those increasingly popular adult coloring books).There&#8217;s bound to be sticker shock when area residents see the cost of today&#8217;s playground equipment: side-by-side striders, leg presses and so on.But in the Greater Wyoming Valley, home to so many older adults, it makes sense to consider the merits of senior playgrounds &#8211; or incorporating senior activities into multigenerational playgrounds &#8211; for people who either can&#8217;t afford gym memberships or feel uncomfortable amid the iron-pumping and sweat-mopping spinning class bunch.Besides, the price of a couple horseshoe pits for an entire community to share shouldn&#8217;t be exorbitant. And even pricier options probably pale in comparison to the cost of medical treatment or mental health care for people who don&#8217;t routinely let their inner child free. Weeeee!

Our Opinion: Red rover, red rover, let grandma come over – to playground for seniors