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Arts & Entertainment

Photo Tour:John J. Burns Town Park

Massapequa's sports hub.

When John J. Burns Town Park on Merrick Road was briefly closed last week, the impact was felt throughout the area.  The park is the center of sports  and recreation in Massapequa. It is a top-tier facility that is over 50 acres in size. Much thought and organization was put into John J. Burns Park. The parking lots are well laid out as are all aspects of this facility. There is a pedestrian-only paved walkway around the middle portion of the park. This path makes it easy to get to any field or court or playground. The path can also be used for running, walking or sprinting. 

The park has numerous baseball diamonds. Some are for younger ballplayers and others are for older and more experienced ballplayers. There are multiple hi-tech multi-use football, soccer and lacrosse fields with synethic turf for added durability. There are also natural grass surface fields available. Nothing was left out when the park was designed. There are a few batting cages and even a fenced-in pitcher warm-up area.

Other sports were not forgotten when the park plan was developed. There are basketball courts, a variety of tennis courts - both platform and traditional, t-ball fields, and even handball courts. Many of these fields and courts have lights for night events.

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The park did not forget that people get hungry during athletic endeavors. There are snack bars in many locations throught the park grounds. Towards the back of John J. Burns Park is a boat launch. There are different fees whether or not you are a resident of the Town of Oyster Bay. The boat launch runs Memorial Day through Labor Day. During the off-season there is no fee to use the boat launch.

This summer the park also hosts many of the Music Under The Stars 2010 concerts, festivals and events.  

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John J. Burns was a New York Democratic politician. He held numerous political offices throughout his lifetime. He assisted in the campaigns of Robert F. Kennedy and Hugh L. Carey in the 1960's. He passed away in 2004.

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