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Ferryville finishes playground project

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Clara McCracken climbs up to get to the slide on Ferryville’s new playground. (Photos by Correne Martin)

The Ferryville Vision and Promotion Board spearheaded the fundraising, organizing and installation of this new playground at the community’s Sugar Creek Park. FV&PB members pictured (clockwise, from front) on the spinner are Marsha Stross, Sherry Quamme, Don Yaeger, Larry Quamme, Joanne White and Theresa Yaeger.

Charlie and Cameron McCracken, sons of Jeremy and Tammy McCracken, of Ferryville, were among the first children to swing on the new equipment last week. They were thrilled at the chance to try it out.

The new playground features plenty of climbing, hanging and sliding opportunities for little ones ready to wiggle out their energy.

By Correne Martin

 

A brand new $75,000 playground, swing set and spinner were installed at Sugar Creek Park in Ferryville a few weeks ago, following three years of fundraising by community go-getters: the Ferryville Vision and Promotion Board (FV&PB). 

The large red, blue and yellow playground matches the plastic play structure that already existed in the charming roadside park for many years. The new features include slides, climbers, musical pieces, a rope bridge, tunnel, various overhead bars, a shade shelter, and a triangular arch path that wiggles. All of the pieces were hand-picked from a catalogue by FV&PB members.

The swing set can accommodate two children and one baby. The spinner, aka modern merry-go-round, is handicap-accessible. 

An exclusive and colorful photo board with face cutouts was also placed at the entrance to the playground. At the request of the Ferryville Tourism Council, local artists Kay Campbell and Hans Gill painted the special panel.  

All of these vibrant additions are noticeable from Highway 35 and offer more of an experience that area kids can enjoy while visiting the park with their families.

The all-volunteer FV&PB, a committee of the Ferryville Village Board, was established in 2002, under the direction of founding members Don and Theresa Yaeger—who remain active today. Since, the group has fundraised for and created numerous improvements to beautify, upgrade, attract and boost the local economic climate for the village’s residents and tourists.

“We have our eyes on the needs of Ferryville and the surrounding region,” said Sherry Quamme, FV&PB co-chair.

The FV&PB has contributed $230,000 of donated improvements to Ferryville, starting with a flagpole and monument observation deck in 2004, and the $110,000 River View Park project in 2009. Also in 2009 and 2010, the Patrick Lucey Historical Marker was installed and a flagpole project and lighting completed. In 2011, they delivered channel buoy markers, and in 2013, the community streetlight banners were replaced. At that time, new holiday snowflakes were purchased for the light poles as well. 

In 2013 and 2014, the group donated three benches for Sugar Creek Park. Additionally, there, they refurbished the farmer’s market garage, and added a new concrete patio and landscaping. A bike rack was installed and the playground surface redone with non-absorbent wood chips after the 2017-2018 floods. 

Flower barrels around the community are kept up by the organization each summer. 

This was all made possible by the committee, with support from the village board and former village president Al Kirchner.

With these projects done in about 15 years’ time, the FV&PB found themselves seeking another venture in 2017. They settled on the playground project not only to satisfy an identified need for further activities in the park, but also to get something permanent in there that could endure flooding when it occurs. 

“When we spend time down here, we see people driving in and out, using the shelters for family gatherings,” Quamme shared. “People were looking for something more to do.”

Located along the Great River Road, the Sugar Creek Park is a highly frequented stop for travelers in particular. The shade trees, restroom facilities and seating make it an ideal setting to get out, stretch their legs, eat lunch, use the port-a-potty, walk their dogs, camp in a tent, etc. 

There are more younger families moving in to the community too, and the park is the perfect place for gatherings or something to take advantage of that’s simple, free and outdoors. 

“This is an important place for many people,” Quamme said.

With the new playground, the park is even more inviting, according to Marsha Stross, FV&PB member, and they’ve seen more families utilizing it already these first few weeks.

“It’s sort of like, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” she noted, smiling. 

Beneath the playground, which came from Lee Recreation, of Cambridge, is a poured-in-place surface made from shredded tires that is meant to be safe for children and resistant to high moisture conditions. The latest sprinkling of wood chips came from Meaks Landscaping, of Greenfield. All materials were intentionally purchased from local or regional companies.

According to Larry Quamme, FV&PB member, the 5-6-inch-deep surface was composed of 27 pallets of the material mixed with 56 5-gallon pails of glue, all poured on top of 8 inches of concrete.

“We had to guard it for 24 hours afterward so it could set,” Sherry Quamme added. “We took shifts to ward off people and animals.”

Larry Quamme explained that the entire installation took 134 hours of volunteer labor and time from about five volunteers, several of whom hammer-drilled 133 holes, 5 feet deep into concrete—all under the supervision of the playground company. 

The playground is now the property of and insured under the village of Ferryville. 

Donor recognition signage will be installed in the future, and a dedication is being planned for the spring of 2021. 

In the meantime, all are welcome to stop by and enjoy the facilities. 

Among the fundraisers held to make the playground project happen were the very popular soup suppers, organized by the FV&PB. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to cancel five of those suppers, said Joanne White, FV&PB co-chair.

So, for a small village of 193 people, Ferryville did quite well in making this happen in just three years. 

“We’re pretty proud of our little community,” White said.

In total, about $46,000 in individual and business cash and in-kind donations, $16,000 in fundraising money and $13,000 from grants helped finance the project.

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