Chris Grasso and Frank Harvey, both with the Grand Junction Department of Parks and Recreation, discuss how best to paint the orbiting planet at the newly renamed Rocket Park.
Photo by Richie Ann Ashcraft.
The well-known rocket and orbiting planet, the namesake for the new Rocket Park formerly named Melrose Park, received a much-needed paint job this week by Grand Junction Parks and Recreation staff.
The rocket is suspended off the ground horizontally and protected by a large fence while crews remove old paint, weld repairs, and prime the old spaceship.
Monday morning the orbiting planet was getting a coat of primer. A fresh coat of blue was added to the body of the rocket last week and the legs were painted a bright yellow. Both pieces are being returned to their original colors, said Chris Grasso, a crew leader for the project.
Grasso said the paint is a pretty high-quality material used for metal and outdoor products that provides resistance against weather.
“You should have seen us inside the rocket last week,” Grasso said laughing. “We looked like a couple of hamsters inside a cage while painting that thing.”
Grasso said he’s especially pleased that the city is keeping the rocket, which will be placed in the northeast corner of the park. It will be sitting at an angle, as if ready to blast off into space, with the orbiting planet at the base.
Grasso guessed the rocket would be in its final position next week and mentioned that the old restroom facility in the park would be torn down this week.
A new restroom facility has been completed. New playground equipment with an outer space theme will be added in the spring, Grasso said.
Comment by hummer on November 9, 2009, 3:34 pm
Good Grief! Rocket Park was formerly Melrose Park – not Whitman Park.
Comment by Summer Rain on November 9, 2009, 10:10 pm
You’re right, Hummer. Whitman Park is Bum Park, right? And Melrose Park is Rocket Park. Maybe they need to rename Bum Park accordingly. (LOL)
Comment by Richie Ann Ashcraft on November 10, 2009, 10:33 am
Oops! You are absolutely right Hummer. Good catch.
Comment by hummer on November 10, 2009, 11:11 am
@ Summer Rain
I’ve always called Whitman Park the “Bum Park” too from the time I can remember. A rename would be a good one. It would either move the namees along or they might stay and call it their “Acre of Grace”. lol
Comment by Rich on November 10, 2009, 12:12 pm
I remember crawling into this thing in, I think, 1958 when we lived on Orchard Ave. Not sure when they built it, but it sure looked new then. It was one of the few places Mom would let me walk to alone, lol. I used to sit in the Rocket and pretend I was Flash Gordon. It had a little steering wheel. Nobody ever got hurt that I know of, ..but now they have closed it off, …for safety, sigh!
Comment by fatboy33 on November 10, 2009, 12:23 pm
Yeah that was just stupid on there part no one has ever got hurt playing in the rocket they need to open it back up so are kids can have the same fun playing in that thing as we did as kids
Comment by Katie on November 11, 2009, 9:17 am
Yeah.. They rename it “Rocket Park” then take the rocket away… Go figure! I loved playing on that with my kids! Too bad I won’t be able to enjoy it with my grandkids!