PORT ANGELES — Janet Young can expect to see a new playground at Shane Park installed by summer — two years after she started dreaming of a place for kids to play at the park named after her late son.
Through contributions from the city and a dedicated donation drive, nearly enough has been raised to buy the large play set sought by Young and other members of the Shane Park Playground Committee for the park at West Eighth and G streets.
Tonight, the Port Angeles City Council will consider approving the $94,896 purchase and contributing $21,000 to the cause.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
With the additional contribution from the city, the committee would only need another $11,600 for pouring concrete, installing tile and putting the play set — which includes three slides, monkey bars, tunnels and other toys — into place.
Corey Delikat, city parks and streets superintendent, said he expects the additional money will be raised easily through fundraisers by late spring or early summer, when construction will begin.
So does Young.
“This town has just been wonderful,” she said, referring to the $34,896 raised through donations.
To date, the city has contributed $60,000.
Delikat said he expects the playground to be complete in August or September.
“It feels so good,” Young said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
The purchase needs to be made now, Delikat said, to secure the cost.
Young has been working with the park committee, which includes Delikat, since October 2010 to raise the funds.
Her son, Shane Fowler, was killed Aug. 13, 1973, while the park was being built.
He was playing on a 4-foot-diameter concrete ring that was standing upright when it fell on top of him.
Even with the play set in place, the committee members won’t be done just yet.
They plan to raise an additional $16,500 to install swings and additional soft tiles for children.
The playground will be 6,105 square feet when finished.
Delikat said the playground will be completely wheelchair accessible, even the slides.
That aspect was inspired by Quinn Redlin-Kintner, a disabled Port Angeles resident who did her senior project on the accessibility of the city’s parks for the disabled, he said. She died in 2010.
The next Shane Park fundraising event, a bunco tournament, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St.
Tickets are $12 and are available at Port Book & News, 104 E. First St.
The event will include refreshments, prizes and a 50/50 raffle.
Donations for the playground equipment, with checks made out to the Kiwanis Foundation, can be mailed to Shane Park Playground, P.O. Box 1064, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
