CHESTERVILLE — A new playground behind the David Archer Town Hall at 409 Dutch Gap Road is closer to fruition thanks to community efforts and several donations.
A petition signed by 770 residents stating they wanted a playground started the process last summer, Playground Committee member Katlin Hilton said recently. “It’s going to be cool,” she noted. “The age range will be for five to 12 year old children. Three designs were sent to choose from, the one picked has the greatest opportunities for that age range. It doesn’t come with the pond seen in the pictures.
“We want it to be a flourishing place for kids and community members, a space for kids to spend time in Chesterville,” Hilton said. “Children attend different schools, some don’t meet other kids from town until the sixth grade,” she noted. “They could have a neighbor they don’t have any clue who they are. I hope kids can meet at an earlier age as that’s when critical relationships are forming. It will be a nice place for siblings of kids who are playing on the ball field.”
New playground equipment will be installed this summer near the basketball court at the David Archer Town Hall in Chesterville. The structure seen here is being ordered from Ben Shaffer recreation in New Jersey while a four-bay swing set has been donated in honor of John Gee. The colors will be yellow, lemon-lime green, brown and orange. Submitted photo
Other Playground Committee members are Ruth Archer, Rick Billian Jr. and Patricia Hastings. Eric Hilton had served as chair, but resigned after being elected to the Select Board. Anyone interested in serving on the committee should contact the town office during business hours, 207-778-2433.
The recently ordered play structure will be to the left of the basketball court, Katlin Hilton said. It will feature a slide, monkey bars obstacle course, fun ladder and an area designed for younger children, she noted. “We’re so super excited about it,” she stated.
Within the 48 foot by 60 foot area for the playground, the structure itself will take up 41 feet by 39 feet and is being purchased from Ben Shaffer Recreation [in New Jersey], Hilton stated. Its colors will be yellow, lemon-lime green, brown and orange, she said. “It’s pretty big, the posts are yellow for safety, we tried to stay with more natural colors,” she noted. “All their equipment is made right here in the U.S.A.”
Earlier this month it was announced a four-bay swing set had been donated by resident Ross Clair in honor of Chesterville resident and war hero John Gee. It will have two regular swings and two toddler swings, Hilton said.
Clair will be storing the playground equipment until it can be installed, Hilton said. “We are still working on the installation date, it will most likely be late June or July,” she noted.
All tractor and groundwork needed for the project has been donated, Hilton said. Don Oliver is donating much of that while Jean Castonguay Excavation is donating some of the materials, she noted.
Certified playground chips [not made from rubber or wood that could cause splinters] are being obtained from Cousineau, with a separate fundraiser planned to purchase those, she said.
The pathway from the parking lot to the playground will be ADA handicap accessible, Hilton noted. Randy Tibbetts and Melissa Brown are covering whatever is left from King’s paving work, she added.
“Our hope later on down the road is to add more pieces of equipment, revamp the ball field and get it up to code, improve the bleachers,” Hilton said. “I think we are getting a pretty good playground for a very limited budget.”
The playground has a budget of $28,770. In September voters approved appropriating up to $25,000 from the town’s allotment of the federal American Rescue Plan Act. At Town Meeting March 13, voters approved a bit more, appropriating $3,770 from taxation, recreation carry forward of $23,627 and $1,373 from ARPA funds.
Once the groundwork is finished, a community day is planned, Hilton said. Ben Shaffer will be sending a representative to show how to erect the structure. “It will be a fun event for moms, dads, kids and others,” she noted. “Games can be played while others install equipment. The Extension Homemakers are donating food.”
Bruce Driscoll and his band will be part of a fundraiser planned for May 20, with a rain date still to be determined, Hilton said. There will be a cookout, lawn sale/auction and games for the kids, with more information to follow, she noted.
“I am very impressed we could get something of this nature with the budget we have,” Hilton said. “We didn’t want to ask for money, raise taxes. This is a new thing for Chesterville, didn’t want to go crazy and ask for a $100,000 structure. We are a small town, don’t have unlimited funds. We are super happy the swings came donated. Swings really make a playground.”
Playground Committee meetings are fun and anyone can attend, Hilton stressed. “We enjoy visualizing, dreaming what the playground can be for the kids,” she added.
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