By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
SUAMICO – New playground equipment will be installed at Idlewild Park to replace equipment that is more than 20 years old.
The Suamico village board voted unanimously Monday, April 20, to approve a proposal from Lee Recreation and to pay for the new equipment for the park, including its assembly, installation and delivery, out of Stadium District tax dollars at a cost not to exceed $30,000.
Leah Hackmaster, recreation director, said the village will be saving money removing the existing equipment by partnering with Kids Around the World, a non-profit group involved with removing play equipment communities are getting rid of and shipping it to Third World counties.
Hackmaster said the new equipment at Idlewild targets children ages 5-12 and is “unique, non-traditional, inclusive and maintenance-friendly.”
“The design chosen includes climbing and balancing apparatuses, while allowing for free and creative play,” she said.
Hackmaster said she hopes Lee Recreation will be able to install the new equipment in June with Kids Around the World slated to remove the existing equipment at the end of May.