PORT CLINTON — A planned renovation of Lakeview Park here will make the playground accessible to all children, giving a new, fun option for northwest Ohio children with physical limitations.
A committee raising funds for the Flagship Collaborative Play Place say they are just $58,000 away from their $600,000 goal to redo the playground, committee chair Tory Thompson said. With the committee forming in November, 2014, and construction set for the beginning of June, the long road to completion is nearing its end.
Ms. Thompson, who is a member of the Kiwanis Club and the rural outreach director for The Ability Center, said the park will finally allow all children to experience a playground with their peers without restrictions.
“It kind of stuck to my heart,” she said.
The current playground has steps to its tallest platforms, is surrounded by mulch, and has a barrier around its border that makes it inaccessible for children or adults in wheelchairs or others who have physical disabilities, Ms. Thompson said. The new park will have rubber matting instead of the mulch, and will have ramps accessing all parts of the playground.
Most playgrounds force some children to sit at the bottom of a park, playing with the only Americans with Disabilities Act compliant piece of equipment. This park will be the only one of its kind in northwest Ohio, Ms. Thompson said.
The project is a true community collaboration, with the Port Clinton Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Lake Erie Adventure Play, Port Clinton Lions Club, and Friends of Port Clinton Parks all joining in. Duane Waite of the Rotary Club said he believes this is the first project in Port Clinton where all three of its service clubs joined together.
Even the 200th RED HORSE Squadron of the Air National Guard is pitching in. Members of the squadron, which is based in Port Clinton, will do much of the heavy lifting, removing the top soil and wood chips from the current playground and digging holes for concrete.
That work is thanks to the Innovative Readiness Training program, which allows military units to do civic projects, and will cut nearly $90,000 from the cost of the project. At the same time, the unit receives training, said Master Sgt. Daryl Walters.
In early June, organizations have signed up for ”community build” days, where their members will spend the day helping to assemble the playground equipment. Those builds end June 13, with the park opening soon afterward.
Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.
First Published May 10, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
