Warm Weather Triggers Playful Spirits

By Kendra Bobowick

His hair caught the loose leaves and bits of dry grass as Kieran Haug rolled downhill to the base of a small incline. Tangled together with his friends Caleb and Colin Cipolla, who were also toppling downward, the boys quickly brushed off their grass-stained knees and ran back up the slope to do it again. More interested in the dandelions springing up in patches, Kieran’s younger sister Asha reached for the bright yellow blooms. The children who had once attended the Fraser-Woods School on Main Street were enjoying a playful reunion as their mothers Veena Haug and Karen Cipolla met at Fairfield Hills on Friday, April 18, the early spring warmth prompting the children to run toward the lawns and roll in the grass.

“We’re just out having fun,” said Ms Haug. Leaning back on her palms with legs stretched in the sun, she kept an eye on her daughter especially, who had gone down toward the base of one of the vacant brick buildings. Ms Cipolla was busy with her youngest, daughter Emily, who was both shy and clinging to her mother’s knees, and also piqued by her brothers’ laughter as they played on the hill.

Living out of town, the women wondered what would become of the large, vacant campus. A quick explanation from any one of the Fairfield Hills Authority members could have noted the new 90-foot baseball diamond, work already started on Bridgeport Hall renovations for the relocation of town and education board offices. A privately owned indoor sports academy is also underway. In past months several developers have entered lease agreements to occupy several of the more structurally sound buildings, with more potential leases to come.

Curiosity aside, the women took the opportunity to enjoy the solitude of the empty streets and former state hospital lawns for fresh air and exercise. Joggers, dogs tugging on a leash, and residents playing soccer or softball are common sights to travelers passing by Fairfield Hills.