March 29, 2024

Handicap accessible playground equipment being looked at for Fontanelle park

A few key members of the Summerset Citizens 4-H Club want to ensure children of all abilities are able to use the playground equipment at the Fontanelle City Park.

The club, spearheaded by sub-committee chairman Carter Goetz, is in the process of writing grants to receive money that could benefit handicap accessible that would be installed in the park. Goetz, 12, is a seventh-grader at Nodaway Valley Middle School.

Goetz met with the Fontanelle City Council at its Monday, April 9, meeting to let them know of the plans the club of over 50 members has in motion. More 4-H club members plan to assist Goetz with the implementation of this project, but the committee hasn’t entirely been formed.

“We’ve been talking about this for awhile off and on. There are two handicapped kids in our town and there’s really nothing they can do since they’re in wheelchairs,” Goetz said. “We wanted to put a swing in that their wheelchair fastens down to. One of them goes to a daycare here in town and they come to the park a lot. He really just has to sit and watch them play. To see us get these would make me pretty happy and I think it’d make them feel pretty happy, too.”

In addition to the wheelchair-friendly swings, The Summerset Citizens are exploring options of sand diggers — a sand box with scoops for digging. These sand diggers will have the scoops on the outer edge and are able to be driven up to by a wheelchair and used by the wheelchair user.

“My mom and I were looking online and found a swing and we found the sand diggers, too, and it was pretty easy to find,” Goetz said. “We haven’t found very many towns that have handicap accessible equipment, so that’s why we want to put it in. We think it might attract more people here.”

The 4-H club plans to fund raise until they have the necessary funds to buy the two pieces of equipment, which are in addition to a new forest green spinner and 20 feet fall zone around the spinner that the city council elected to buy at the most recent meeting.

“It has been a long time since our club has done a big community project. The last time we did a big project was that we helped the fire department get a grain tube, and that was about three years ago,” said Summerset Citizens co-leader Terri Raasch. “I feel there couldn’t be any bigger need in the community anyway.”

Fontanelle Mayor Tyson Sickles reports the City Council welcomed Goetz’s proposal with open arms and just asked him to communicate with them as the installation day, which should be sometime in the next year, draws near.

The new spinner the city is installing is pegged for installation sometime before Fourth of July festivities.

“Carter gave us a nice presentation on what he’s ordering and that he has grants he has to apply for. Big picture is that he’s trying to get some of the handicap accessible equipment for the Fontanelle park. Since it’s a service project, there’s really not a deadline,” Sickles said. “The only thing we asked is that he keep us informed because I think they’re going to ask our city guys to install the equipment. We’re using the funds of the city to spruce up the park. Seeing some new color in the park, I think, will help a lot.”

The council also discussed the electronic sign the Enterprise Club is helping to purchase. That sign should be in place, weather permitting, by the Fourth of July.