The remaining
children’s play area known as Dunes Friendship Land in Chesterton Park is
coming down to be replaced with a safer, handicapped-accessible play
structure next spring.
At their meeting
Tuesday, Chesterton Park Board members praised the final layout submitted by
park director Bruce Mathias, who said the components for the 100-foot by
100-foot Little Tikes commercial playground are purchased and in storage.
Mathias said the
donated name pickets and handprint tiles sold to raise money for the current
wooden structures built years ago by community volunteers should be removed
soon by their owners before the play area is disassembled over the next two
months.
If not removed
prior to demolition, Mathias said the remaining pickets/tiles won’t be
saved.
Park Board member
John Kroft said the new Friendship Park layout --- including swings, a
look-out tower and bridge, slide, climbing wall and curving oval climbing
structure --- is sized for little kids and won’t appeal to older children.
Mathias noted that
the surface under the play areas will be a specially installed astroturf
material with bounceability suitable to cushion falls yet firm enough to
allow wheelchairs to move over it.
A portion of the
wooden Dunes Friendship Land play structures to the west for older children
previously was removed. Board members asked Mathias if something will be
built to replace that, too. He said not at this time. “ We want to get the
little kids taken care of there and then move on (with improvements) to the
Waskom and Kipper parks.”
Also Tuesday,
Mathias said the Christmas decorations and Santa House at Thomas Park were
in place for the annual tree lighting and downtown Christmas parade
Saturday, which he noted drew a large crowd because of the warmer
temperatures.
Commented Kroft, “I
really love the Thomas Park decorations.” He invited the public to take
their time to look at them, especially the green fountain. “Someone really
got creative this year,” Kroft commented.
Mathias said park
employee Mike Billings drew up the concept for the decorations, and board
president Vince Emanuel helped prepare them.
During his monthly
report Mathias said this fall, “We’ve collected more leaves than in all the
years I could remember.”