Northside Park Planning Meeting Has Great Turnout

Youngsters Creating their Dream List

Dozens of youngsters and parents attended a design day meeting to come up with ideas and equipment for a brand new Northside Park in Lamar this past Tuesday, July 30.  Kids and adults each had their own idea sessions where representatives from the Colorado Health Foundation, KaBOOM and LiveWell Prowers County hosted the idea meeting at the Lamar Community Building. 

KaBOOm Rep Courtney Sawyer

The session was led by KaBOOM representative, Courtney Sawyer, who asked the kids, who ranged between 5 and tween years, how long they thought it would take to set up their new playground.  The responses ranged between days and weeks, but when Sawyer said it would take only six hours, she got a collective, “Whoa” from the audience.  Part of the grant process for funding for a new playground is a community buy-in for what’s termed the ‘build day’ which will be September 14 in Lamar.  Volunteers from the community are asked to help prepare the playground site and show up on the designated day to fulfill their assigned duties for construction.  Sawyer said it’ll be a mixture of play and work as everyone who takes part has some fun along the way. 

Hard to Work on Ideas

Karl Nieschburg of LiveWell Colorado told The Prowers Journal that in addition to the funding for the playground equipment, the state philanthropy group, El Pomar, is helping fund this and other projects with a $50,000 donation.  KaBOOM will take the designs and suggestions from the kids to incorporate the playground from one of three available models.  When Sawyer asked the kids what a volunteer was, she got several responses, but one youngster contributed the most apt reply with, “Someone who works without pay.”

By Russ Baldwin