Building Playground Isn’t Child’s Play
This is a test. Twelve hundred communities of various sizes across the nation passed this test and now it’s Coeur d’Alene’s turn.
Can the community generate 1,000 volunteers to build an amusement park-like playground in five, 12-hour days? Will people leave the comfort of their homes to work side-by-side with neighbors they’ve never met?
Bliss Bignall believes with evangelistic fervor that they will.
“The number of people doesn’t worry me, just the money,” he says.
Bliss saw a phenomenal wooden playground in Sandy, Ore., on a visit to his brother’s home 18 months ago.
Only a kid’s imagination could have created such playground perfection. It had slides, swings, bridges, ladders, turrets, connecting tunnels, tires, peepholes - all in the shape of an elaborate fort.
The architect of this wonder - Leathers and Assoc. Inc., of Ithaca, N.Y. - requires community volunteers to erect all its playground projects as a wholesome type of quality control. Sandy has only about 3,000 residents, but 800 people turned up to work.
Bliss figured if Sandy could handle such a project, so could Coeur d’Alene. He presented the idea to his Kiwanis Club, which quickly pledged $30,000.
The city parks director blessed the project for City Park and architects went to Coeur d’Alene’s kids for ideas.
“One little girl really wanted a maze,” says Kiwanian Dave Kilburg.
About 2,000 kids told architects they wanted a climbing wall, rings, parallel bars, a fire pole, balance beams, swings, bouncy bridges, chains, trolleys, slides, nets, tunnels and lookout towers.
Architects included everything - and three mazes. The detailed drawing they created represented a third of an acre.
In the past year, money has poured in from civic and fraternal clubs, churches and penny drives at schools. Curiosity has grown into interest, then enthusiasm.
“I can see it starting to mushroom,” Bliss says.
The construction will start May 13 and offer work to volunteers of any skill level. Coordinating child care, meals, security, the work force and equipment has Bliss and Dave running like hamsters on a wheel.
“There are days we pull our hair out,” Dave says.
So far, 500 people have volunteered to hammer, saw and sand on construction week. The playground needs only 500 more.
“We never considered failure,” Bliss says. “If we can do this, there are bigger things ahead.”
To volunteer to build the Fort Sherman playground or to donate food or money, call 444-5485 or send your name to Kiwanis Club of the Idaho Panhandle, Tom Scott - labor chairman, P.O. Box 2684, Coeur d’Alene 83814.
Horse sense
Kootenai Medical Center wants to save horseback riders a few headaches. With help from the North Idaho Brain Injury Association, KMC will give away some helmets to 4-H kids who attend a safety workshop April 12 at the Meadowlark Arena on Ramsey Road and Miles Avenue and another one April 26 at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
Neurosurgeons Ernest Fokes and Bret Dirks will answer questions at the workshops, so parents should tag along. For details, call 666-2000.
Just say yes
It was scary to hold my new daughter 18 years ago and know her well-being depended on my common sense and natural instincts. Some training would have been nice.
The Kootenai Alliance for Children and Families wants to know if high schools should teach kids about good parenting and child abuse prevention. Tell them what you think at 7 p.m., Tuesday, at the Coeur d’Alene Inn.
What was your funniest moment as a parent? Relive it for Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814; fax to 765-7149; call 765-7128; or e-mail to cynthiat@ spokesman.com.
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