Getting new equipment for the Winamac Town Park’s toddler playground may be more of a challenge than originally thought. The town’s Kiwanis Club had hoped to donate about $4,000 for that purpose. But during Thursday’s park board meeting, Board Secretary Kim Burke said that money wouldn’t go very far. “You can’t do anything with $4,000,” she explained. “You can’t buy a slide for $4,000.”
She and Park Manager Dave DeLorenzo looked through several playground equipment catalogs to research potential costs. Park board members said they’d be willing to contribute town funding for the new equipment, but the board’s playground budget for the year is only $500.
DeLorenzo believes the metal slide in the toddler playground is unsuitable for very young children, but replacing it with a plastic one would cost at least $5,500.
Spring toys for kids to ride on are cheaper, typically $750 to $1,000. DeLorenzo thought the existing ones were in good shape, but Park Board President Courtney Poor thought it may be time for an upgrade. “I can remember seeing those when I was a kid, and they were probably there when I was a kid, what’s still over there,” Poor said. “And I’m thinking that spring and bouncing around and this, that, and the other, and the spring is open, it isn’t covered, and I could just see somebody starting to fall and putting their fingers in there.”
At the same time, Poor wants to keep exploring the possibility of adding equipment that’s accessible to children with disabilities. “I want to make sure that what we buy, if it applies to be ADA-compliant, that we do at least get the equipment that’s ADA-compliant,” he said. “Now we may have to, then, look toward the budget or the gift fund or something, to try to get a handicap-accessible path to get to that area, too.”
For now, he suggested that Burke and DeLorenzo continue to research what equipment is available that the town could afford. Meanwhile, Poor plans to meet with officials from the community’s Head Start program, to see what its playground has and which equipment is popular with children.
