A ribbon cutting was held Friday night at Baker Square, celebrating the space’s transformation into a small park that can be used for concerts or for just sitting and watching people in the village.
“The idea was to make a bigger space that was ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compatible with a view of the village,” said Aileen Binder, who designed the space.
“Originally there was seating for 12, now it seats 30. It allows for group sitting as well as individual.”
The project would have cost about $150,000 but many participants did in kind work that saved thousands and County to County Landscape gave the Village Alliance a great rate so the project ended up costing about $60,000, said Binder who worked with architect John James on the project.
The two biggest donors towards the project were the Maplewood Foundation and Larry Fisher , who each gave $10,000 Larry’s dad, Saul Fisher, owned a lot of buildings in town. Fisher said his dad would have loved the project “My dad was a musician who owned a lot of property in town and this was in his honor,” Larry Fisher said.
Mayor Nancy Adams and Councilman Vic DeLuca were among those at the ceremony. Adams spoke briefly, thanking those involved and noting how projects like these are never easy.
“These projects take a lot of people talking and a lot of coordination,” she said. 
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