New playground to be center of township meeting

Canfield Township Trustees will hold the Aug. 23 meeting at Township Park and will be doing a ribbon cutting for the new playground that is being completed this month.

According to Township Administrator Keith Rogers, a few details remain in completing the new township playground. The playground has been planned for some time and is finally nearing completion.

The entire playground was funded by a $20,000 Nature Works grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The township matched the grant, bringing the total cost for project to $40,000. The equipment from Miracle Recreation Equipment Company was ordered through Anderson Recreational Design out of Medina.

The equipment is made of strong metal and metal chains that are coated with a safety rubber to prevent injuries.

On the ground, Rogers said 300 cubic yards of mulch was brought in to make a soft and safe landing surface for children.

“There is a certain thickness of mulch required by the state as fall protection,” Rogers said.

The mulch and equipment was assembled and placed by a team of around 25 volunteers, Rogers said.

The largest piece is a maze of activity with several slides. It includes a rock-climbing wall and a triple slide as well as other stations to provide exercise and fun.

The swing set, like the climbing unit, was set in concrete and has nine seats, one which is a special handicapped seat. The special seat has a locking cage that will enable a child to experience the fun of swinging, while ensuring the child won’t accidentally fall out.

Although the ribbon cutting in not until Aug. 23, the new playground is ready for use now. The yellow caution tape was removed and the only item left to install are rubber mats under the swings and slides that prevent the mulch from being worn away.

Rogers said the playground is ready for use, but is far from complete.

“It will be added onto in the future,” Rogers said. “I’m already working on phase II.”