Lewiston woman 'saves' Pettingill playground

Bonnie Washuk/Sun Journal

Todd Mogul of Lewiston watches over his daughter, Hannah, 3, as she plays at the playground at the old Pettingill Elementary School on Friday.

Buy a print

- Bonnie Washuk/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Earlier this month, day care provider Jaime Bolduc heard the Pettingill Elementary School playground was going away, being given to a nonprofit organization.

On Friday,  acting City Administrator Phil Nadeau said it was going to stay, and he credited Bolduc with "saving" it.

"The kids in that area are blessed," Nadeau said. "They have the benefit of that playground, plus the new playground at the Geiger Elementary School less than one mile away."

On Friday, there were some lines painted on the ground in front of the Pettingill playground indicating it was to be removed. Todd Mogul of Lewiston was there watching his daughter, Hannah, 3, as she played on the slide and jungle gym.

When officials were planning to give the playground away, "the whole neighborhood was upset," Bolduc said. "It's a great playground. The neighborhood kids use it every weekend and during the day."

The School Department recommended the former school, replaced by the new Geiger Elementary, become a park or a green space. The property officially was transferred from the Lewiston School Department to the city on Nov. 1.

"They told us they were going to keep the playground and get rid of the school. When I heard they were going to get rid of the playground equipment, I got concerned," Bolduc said. She called City Hall and spoke with Nadeau.

"He told me the playground equipment wasn't up to code, it's no good and has to go. I said, 'I'm looking at it. It's fine,'" she said. Besides, Pettingill parents paid for much of the playground. Less than 10 years ago they did fundraising for improvements, she said.

Bolduc praised Nadeau, who she said was very busy, with "taking the initiative to go look at it. That's really cool." He saved the playground, she said.

But Nadeau credited her with saving the Pettingill playground. "She saved me a lot of unhappy people from what was a miscommunication," Nadeau said. "It was my fault. I'm spinning 4,000 plates. Somewhere I thought it was suggested the equipment was not meeting safety standards."

Lewiston school Superintendent Leon Levesque said he asked Nadeau what to do with the playground equipment if the city wasn't going to maintain it. "The area was being trashed," Levesque said.

Nadeau said he could give it away.

Plans were made to give the equipment to Sandcastles preschool or the John Murphy Homes, both non profit children's organizations, Levesque said.

Bolduc's call to Nadeau stopped the give-away, he said.

After she called he checked with the Lewiston Recreation Department staff, who told him the playground was in good shape.

Apologizing to the non-profit organizations, Nadeau said the playground would stay.

However, the school building's future is unknown. A recent request for proposals to sell the building went unanswered, Nadeau said. It will be up to the next Lewiston City Council to decide what to do with it.

"There's no sense of urgency," Nadeau said. "The building's going to go cold. The pipes have been drained and it's buttoned up for the winter."

bwashuk@sunjournal.com