DECATUR — Neighborhood children took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather last week to climb, slide and whirl on the new playground equipment recently installed in Decatur’s Veterans Park.
The new play area, which has been open for about three weeks, is located at the east end of the park, inside the walking track near the bandstand, so children will have a place to play while their parents are exercising on the track or playing soccer on the nearby field. All of the equipment was donated, leavingthe city with the expense of site preparation and labor for refurbishing and installing it, according to mayor Charles Linam.
Skyler Spence, who was riding her bicycle around the walking track Friday with neighborhood children, says she visits the playground every day that her mother allows.
Charles Linam said he is surprised at the number of children who have been using the playground.
“I am overjoyed with it really,” he said, “I knew we had a need for it but the response has been even greater than I expected andit's going to get better.”
Three pieces of equipment were donated by the Decatur School District - a slide, playhouse with several slides, and a tugboat. They were part of the school’s old elementary school playground, but were unused after the Northside Elementary School was built on Mount Olive Road in 2007.
Kayden Cochran, who excitedly reported that he turned 11 last week, said he helped get the equipment donated by writing Decatur School Superintendent Larry Ben a letter - “All in cursive” he proudly added.
Another piece of equipment for toddler-aged children was donated by Joe Linam, of Russellville, brother to Mayor Charles Linam. A merry-go-round was donated by Ray Williams of Missouri.
City employees Mike Barnett, Ricky Burke and Adam Cramer provided the labor for moving, refurbishing and installing the donated equipment, as well as laying the border and bed of wood chips. They also installed a handicapped parking space and sidewalk from Pat Street, which runs through the park, making both the playground and walking track wheelchair accessible. The total cost to the city was around $2,300, Charles Linam said.
In the future, Charles Linam hopes to add swings and park benches to the play area, either by donation or by having city employees build them. The price of new playground equipment is cost prohibitive to the city, but thanks to the donations children have a place to play at an affordable price, he said.
News, Pages 1 on 01/04/2012