‘Castle Park’ gets new play features
Expansion celebration May 12
Yuma is inviting residents to celebrate the expansion of the Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground on May 12. Several new features have been installed, thanks to community donations following an arson fire that destroyed the playground in 2014.
It’s a case of something good coming out of something bad. After the fire, dismayed residents immediately started sending in donations to be used for rebuilding the playground affectionately known as “Castle Park,” located in the West Wetlands Park, 282 N. 12th Ave.
But the city’s insurance policy covered the $1 million reconstruction of the swings, slides, seesaws, ramps and other structures under a castle, dragon and town theme. The playground reopened on Dec. 19, 2016.
The community raised more than $90,000. The city pledged to use the donated funds to expand the park, making it “bigger, better, safer,” Debbie Wendt, parks and recreation director, said.
For ideas, the city went to schools and asked kids what they wanted. “They wanted music, they wanted a climbing feature, they wanted a zipline,” Wendt said.
Their wishes are being granted. The funds donated by the community has allowed the city to pick three pieces so far. A 66foot zipline has already been installed but is still not in use. A TriNet climbing structure is being con-
structed now and should be ready in about two weeks. It will accommodate up to 60 kids at the same time. The name “Trinet” comes from its triangular shape.
The public donations have been used only for playground features. About $20,000 from the city’s Capital Improvement Program is paying for wood chips and lighting which will face the new area for increased safety and security. Park crews are installing the features.
A couple more features will come later, including a comfort swing. Wendt describes it as a “mommy(or daddy)-and me” dual swing where mom/dad and child can swing together facing each other.
“Children are sometimes scared to go on a swing. They find it comforting to be facing their parent. It gives them an opportunity to swing together instead of the parent pushing from behind,” Wendt said.
Also coming is a Rhapsody outdoors six-piece musical instrument collection. The six-piece collection includes drums with attached sticks, xylophones and pipes. Kids can explore individual sounds or creatively combine sounds with others.
“Children can play them alone or have their own band if they play them at the same time,” Wendt said.
A water feature is also planned. It might be a splash pad with spigots on the ground shooting water.
“Kids can get wet and cool off during the summer,” she noted.
However, water features are very expensive. The price tag for the one the city hopes to get is $350,000.
“We’re hoping to get a major donor,” Wendt said. “It’s a conceptual design now. It could change.”
Each feature is unique in its own way. “We didn’t want to take away from the SVW playground. We wanted something completely different so the playground will stay special,” Wendt said.
“For now we’re doing the ones that will make the most impact,” Wendt said, adding that most of the new features are ADA accessible.
The chain-link was extended to make room for the new area and the disc golf holes were relocated to the north. Wendt’s own wish is to replace the chainlink with rod iron in the future, but that is also very expensive. And for now, the city is focusing on the play features.
However, the city will attempt to beautify the fence with a children’s public art project surrounding the fence line. Some of the ideas that have been tossed around include cutouts of children or tiles made by kids. They would be placed on the fence or in front of it.
There will also be a project for adults. The community will be invited to build a pathway connecting all the elements together, sort of like a maze. The trail will connect all the features, like a pathway from the main entrance to the zipline to the comfort swing to the tri-net to the musical instruments.
With the water and musical features still to come, fundraising efforts are continuing.
“Those will happen with donations. There’s not much CIP money left,” Wendt said.
In the meantime, the city invites residents to celebrate the new installations on May 12.
“We’re really looking forward to opening it,” she said.
Contributions can be made through the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, 180 W. 1st St., Suite E, Yuma, 85364. Checks should be made out to the heritage area, with a note in the memo line indicating it’s for the “bigger, better playground.”
The investigation into the arson fire continues, but no arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the case can contact police at (928) 3734670 or leave an anonymous tip with 78-CRIME at (928) 782-7463. A reward of up to $50,000, largely funded by local donors, is being offered.