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ng' time It's at park thanks s-20- (r2' to rubber mulch By SUSAN PALMER The Register-Guard Josh Nicholas scrambled up the slide ladder at Scobert Park, slid down and hit the ground bouncing. The 5-year-old jumped a couple of times more and giggled. "It's squishy, squishy, squishy. It's fun," he said. "It" is the new rubber surface under the play- ground equipment, installed a couple of weeks ago by the city to replace the sand. The rubber compound is made of recycled tires and has a lot of give, said Eric Johnson, a parks staffer with the city. "It's really springy, but it's not like a trampo- line,"Johnson said. Even adults at the park, located along Fourth Avenue in the Whiteaker neighborhood,enjoyed it. Turn to SCOBERT,Page 5B SCOBE Ri Continued from Page 1B Charity Allen, Josh's aunt, It thins out toward the edges of the bounced gently on it as she kept an playground area. eye on Josh while holding her other "It keeps a consistent level," he nephew,8-month-old Seth. said. Fun aside, the rubber surface is Replacing the sand with the new much safer than the sand,she said. material cost $25,000 and was paid "You don't know what's in the for by a federal community develop- sand. It could be very bad stuff, ment block grant,Johnson said. drug paraphernalia,"she said. It's the second time the city in- Her friend, Ashtynn Muffins, stalled the material,having tested it agreed. under a merry-go-round at Universi- "The sand here was dangerous. ty Park,he said. It was filthy. This is a surface that Instead of raking and sifting,the definitely says kids," she said, ges- new surface will require occasional turing at the tidy green and black blowing and a low-pressure blast of material. water to keep it clean, Johnson The rubber layer does eliminate said. the need for raking and sifting out Josh, bouncing his way across debris, Johnson said. It also doesn't the play area, said he liked the new shift around, as sand often does stuff pretty well. Then he stopped when children run and play and dig to consider the bigger picture. in it. Under the tallest equipment, "I wish there was sand, too, and the rubber is thicker, providing swings and that spinny thing you more cushioning for kids who fall. go around on,"he said.