Playground unveiled at fairgrounds

SANDPOINT — City and Bonner County officials cut the ribbon Tuesday on a new playground at the fairgrounds.

“Really, it was advantageous here. It’s highly visible and we have some dense subdivisions over here,” said city Parks & Recreation Director Kim Woodruff. “It’s just a really great location.”

The $300,000 project was accomplished through public/private partnerships which held costs down. The bulk of the project, approximately $200,000, was paid for by the LOR Foundation and Friends of the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. Other contributors included the Inland Northwest Community Foundation’s Equinox Fund and Community Strategies Grant Program.

Woodruff said Great Western Park & Playground provided $90,000 worth of equipment for approximately $50,000.

“The biggest winner is going to be the community and those guys over there,” Woodruff said, referring to children who were already scampering up and down the equipment.

Woodruff thanked the Bonner County Fair Board and fairgrounds manager Rhonda Livingstone, who in turn thanked the city.

“We want to thank Kim for all the hard work,” said Livingstone.

Bonner County Commissioner Glen Bailey, who was joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony by fellow Commissioner Cary Kelly and Sandpoint Mayor Carrie Logan.

"We enjoyed working with the city and with the county’s fair board. The toughest part for me was keeping all the Carries straight," said Bailey.

Tom Runa of Runa Group Planning & Design contributed to the project, as did Glahe & Associates, Bert’s Manufacturing & Sales, Earthworks Northwest and Terra Graphics Environmental Engineering.

Logan said she appreciated the public/private collaboration that made the project happen.

"It’s just critical in the city at least and probably the county, too, to have these relationships," said Logan.