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Accessible
by Angela E. Lackey, The Midland Daily News, August 6,
2002
For more articles visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
The colors and noise stood out immediately.
Thatched-style green roofs are coupled with bright yellow
railings and blue poles at Midland's newest playground.
Excited because everything was new and different, children
ran, shouted and blew into their noisemakers.
As a bell rang the time in the background, the children got
ready to release their tightly held balloons.
"... Away!" The sky filled with multicolored floating orbs.
Melissa Davert, Center for Independent Living of MidMichigan
director, said the magic word that officially opened Blessed
Sacrament School's playground in Monday's warm, breezy
sunshine.
The playground is open and easily accessible to all children.
A child can run or wheel up one of the orange ramps to play –
which is exactly what Katie Buchalski, 5, of Sanford was
doing. Her favorite part was the slide that twists its way to
the wood-chipped ground.
"I think this is wonderful," said Chris Buchalski, Katie's
mother. "They go to school here and they still want to come
back and play."
Chris Buchalski also liked the fact the playground was
accessible to children with disabilities.
"I think it's good for the kids to learn how to build
something they can share," she said.
Fundraising started in January 2001 and the playground was
completed in April 2002. The project initially started as a
playground upgrade, said Dawn Goslin. Goslin was chairwoman of
the school's playground committee.
"We just wanted to do something for the community," Goslin
said.
Principal Michael Knoff said the playground's total cost,
including volunteer labor, was more than $110,000. The
playground is plastic and covered rubber and was made by
Miracle Recreation Equipment. Frank Riggle of Midland is with
the contractor, the Okemos-based Engan-Tooley-Doyle &
Associates.
Riggle pointed out the transfer seat, where a child can get
out of a wheelchair and play that way. The playground also has
a raised sandbox under which a wheelchair can fit.
Riggle said the wood chips are specially sized so wheelchairs
can go over the ground. Play panels are scattered throughout
the playground, where children can watch sparkles and liquid
run through clear plastic tubes and manipulate steel balls
through a maze.
The playground also is good for a shady picnic – as two girls
spreading their plates of cake and other goodies discovered.
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