~by The Scranton Journal
A dedication ceremony was held for the new playground located in the Scranton School Memorial Park located east of the Community Center/city hall on Saturday afternoon. A nice sized crowd was on hand to celebrate the completion. Before the ceremony began, the youngsters in the crowd tried out the equipment and declared it “awesome!”
The playground committee thanked all the volunteers for their donations of time, labor, tools and equipment which were crucial to the success of the project. Each volunteer received a T-shirt as a thank you for their dedication to competing the project.
The committee, from the left, was Cindy Boyd, Darlene Taggart, Jerry Boyd, Cole Gustoff, Whitney Hoyle and Julie McAleer.
McAleer was the spokesperson. Mayor Randy Winkelman welcomed and thanked everyone for their assistance. The Greene County Chamber Ambassadors joined with the committee in cutting the green ribbon to officially open the playground.
The project began in earnest in January 2016 with fundraising. Several grants were received along with donations, large and small from businesses, organizations and individuals. The Grow Greene County grant put the fundraising over the top and allowed the playground to move forward. The equipment was assembled by volunteers on July 28 and 29.
Final details were completed last week including the installation of pea gravel and wood chips as a ground safety base. Additional landscaping will be completed but for the most part, the project is finished.
Two youngsters, Lana Silbaugh and Lily Gustoff, tried out the swings. All the equipment received their approval.
The crowd moved inside to view the designs compiled by the Visioning Committee. The day concluded with a delicious roast pork luncheon.
