Volunteers sought for Earth Day wrapup of North Beach playground construction

By Mick Burke

Thursday, February 19, 2004 11:45 PM CST

RACINE - One of this community's biggest and best stories from last year, the North Beach playground project, is not quite finished.

The epilogue will be written this April 23-25, Earth Day weekend, when 300 volunteers will be sought for three more days of construction. The additional work will address some unfinished business and further enhance the playground. The tasks will include: * Constructing a pavilion at the playground's north end.

* Installing hand-painted tiles on pavilion posts.

* Finishing the brick plaza, the entryway that will surround the pavilion, and building three brick walkways to the playground.

* Building a boardwalk to connect the playground with North Beach Oasis, pending city approval. The boardwalk - the only major item added to the original plan for this spring's construction - will curve around Kewaunee Street to the concessions building above the beach.

* Building two speedboats to be embedded in the wood chips.

* Finishing playground decorations and adding murals.

* Adding numerous finishing touches.

* Planting native trees and vegetation to give the surrounding area a natural look.

An estimated 2,000 people took part in a six-day playground assembly in late October. It was done in the same fashion as the Kids Connection playground built by volunteers at Caledonia-Mount Pleasant Memorial Park in Franksville.

Although of similar size, the North Beach playground was even more elaborate than Kids Connection - besides presenting additional challenges of building on sand.

The North Beach project continues in one other aspect: fund-raising, as the sale of personalized mementos and memorials continues. As before, volunteers and supporters may still contribute to the project by buying: * A personalized fence picket for $25. Call Molly Buhler at (262) 635-9345.

* A tile hand-painted by the purchaser at Fired-Up Racine for $35. Call Trisha Hanson at (262) 681-2781.

* An engraved brick for $50 and up, depending on the size.

The bricks will be set in the entrance walkway. Call Eleanor Jones at (262) 636-1282.

The North Beach Playground Group has sold about 180 tiles, 170 pickets and 125 bricks so far, said project co-chairman Bob Oertel. All three items will be available through the April 23 weekend of construction, and the pickets for about a month after that.

Oertel said $20,000 will go into a playground maintenance fund, and other money will be used for finishing activities. If there is any left over, he said, it will likely be placed in control of the Friends of the Playground group to use as it sees fit in the future.

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