SACO — This morning, when students arrive to school at C.K. Burns, they’ll notice something new, even though they won’t be able to use it until Tuesday.
On Saturday, a team of about 60 volunteers installed new playground equipment at the school grounds on Middle Street Extension. The work day began around 8 a.m., and around noon, after stopping to eat lunch, volunteers were on the home stretch, with much of the work completed.
“They got here early, they were all ready to work,” said volunteer Heidi Pare of Kennebunk.
Pare was recruited by Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation John Sherman. The two first worked on a playground build together in Kennebunk, where Sherman used to work, and they also worked on a playground build last year at Saco’s Young School.
The playground was one of two capital improvement projects funded by the city, the other being improvements to the public works building, said Sherman.
Much of the old playground equipment, made of pressure-treated wood, was past its life expectancy, said Sherman.
“This (playground) worried me,” said Sherman, who said he’d gotten calls in recent years regarding broken equipment.
“This was coming down regardless,” said Sherman. “It was way overdue.”
Playground equipment that was not made of pressure-treated wood and is still usable will stay, and will accompany the new equipment, which is made of metal and plastic.
The new play structures, in cheerful colors like lime green, turquoise and orange, include a climbing wall, a “cozy cocoon” pod-like swing, and a play structure with rope webbing and different shapes for children to crawl through and climb.
“Oh my gosh, this is awesome,” said Pare. “I love the colors, they’re so vibrant.”
She said what she loved about the playground was that there was something for everyone.
The volunteers worked with a certified installer to put together the new playground, said Sherman. Children won’t be able to use it until Tuesday afternoon, as the cement needs a few days to cure, said Sherman.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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