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pla lEUGENdE ARKS
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<br /> Officials unveil drawings that promise unique adventures for kids
<br /> BY SCOTT MABEN Skinner Butte Park play area
<br /> The Register-Guard Planned PLAYGROUND
<br /> r Climbingwall Butte climber 1 playground FEATURES
<br /> he second-graders could barely con- ;.ij t
<br /> T fain their excitement when they •s ti... r,,,,,,, -. Skinner Butte
<br /> ,� /. ref7e,..;.. _...f
<br /> stumbled upon a city planning pre- ki;;� e� Park
<br /> sentation Thursday. CCS �Qo •Models of
<br /> No,really. 'F YR„ey o o Skinner Butte
<br /> That's because the plans they saw were , :TiCfa 0. `''� ,,.-------_,____,:(7
<br /> '•,: Eugene ` Butte
<br /> F and Spencer
<br /> for new playgrounds in Alton Baker Park ' 6TH AVE
<br /> and Skinner Butte Park.And these are no ~ •Archaeological
<br /> ordinary playgrounds. Ry dig
<br /> They'll have stuff to rouse the imagina- Mill tow P 3 • • -II •Native
<br /> tion and stimulate the senses.Like atree- with slide • American village
<br /> house village and kid-sized replicas of lo- and water `�r.lit"`' ,Y_I •
<br /> i - r , •Storytelling
<br /> cal landmarks.Like spraying water and a
<br /> feature. ; t ? r -Er• t•;\`' swing
<br /> place to dig for buried artifacts and fossils. ,'••• r*•-1 •Pioneer village
<br /> Like walls,nets and"mountains"to climb. �” . _„ •Agricultural
<br /> Like a miniature river ferry,pioneer plaza _ r F•• maze
<br /> and an American Indian longhouse. • Pioneer •Willamette
<br /> Eugene city officials chose the Hutt ,(; village .f` play river
<br /> Center to unveil the architectural draw- Longhouse •Millrace
<br /> ings for the"RiverPlay"project to be built Agricultural '��'' with covered
<br /> starting next summer.The sophisticated maze group swing Alton Baker
<br /> development will blend science and histo- Park
<br /> ry,adventure and fantasy,art and whim-
<br /> •Entry gateway
<br /> Sy. •Water spray
<br /> After the news cameras left,a half- plaza
<br /> dozen students from Guy Lee Elementary Alton Baker Park play area •River water
<br /> School in Springfield wandered by and Planned play with wild
<br /> rendered their verdict. ,.., •
<br /> Treehouse village, playground salmon run
<br /> "It's cool!"several exclaimed,running 7 preschool age — e •�o •Cascade
<br /> their fingers along the meandering blue " �'3•' ' overlook
<br /> vTr MARTIN LUTHER
<br /> lines that will become flowing waterways » , turn,, & KING BLVD. •Treehouse
<br /> representing the Willamette River and Eu- `( villages
<br /> gene Millrace. ; ' ';� { �, w • `, •. •Infant play
<br /> Janessa Glenz,7,said she definitely 11 Eugene area and shelter
<br /> would play in the sandy archaeological dig `• ‘.
<br /> ` 1 r A if(amene River •Shaded
<br /> at Skinner Butte Park and climb the nets / °IM ,,,c'r, ti Pv.. seating terrace
<br /> that look like a mountain range at Alton ti/1 1. •Mountain
<br /> Baker Park. r +tai p � a ' range net
<br /> "Except not too high,"she was quick to Waters ra Z igi,,` � climber
<br /> P Y._ 9add. plaza ra t . .y :_y, 4^� F_ ♦Swings
<br /> The playgrounds will be the largest in \' ?let climber •Prefontaine
<br /> the city,placed in signature parks that 4, . 1 . t a interpretive
<br /> Interactiv • game trail
<br /> draw visitors from throughout the com• •� b '
<br /> munity. dam • f ,. / Treehouse
<br /> City parks planners and MIG,a Eugene • •a ., • ..- ., village,school
<br /> planning and design firm,gave each play- �, `;�: ,s age
<br /> ground a unique theme,much like a \ Mountaintop,
<br /> •
<br /> Please turn to PLAYGROUNDS,Page D7 Source:MIG viewing scopes
<br /> Playgrounds: Done in
<br /> part, open by late 2004
<br /> Continued from Page DI that's really important—to
<br /> get them away from the corn-
<br /> "land"in a Disney theme park. puters and games,"she said.
<br /> At Skinner Butte Park, Planners talked to children,
<br /> children can explore the natu- parents and other residents be-
<br /> ral history and culture of Eu- fore crafting the plans.Lexi
<br /> gene with such attractions as a Jennings,8,attended a corn-
<br /> model of a Kalapuya Indian munity workshop where she
<br /> village,a grassy mound that got to vote for her favorite
<br /> depicts Spencer Butte,a model playground features using
<br /> of Skinner Butte's basalt stickers.The third-grader at
<br /> climbing rocks and an agricul- Eugene's McCornack Elemen-
<br /> tural maze. tary School said she likes what
<br /> A miniature river millrace she sees so far.
<br /> will flow through a pioneer vii. "There's lots of new things
<br /> lage sandwiched between the that haven't been in any other
<br /> models of the two buttes.This park,"Jennings said."It just
<br /> will give kids a hands-on way sounds like a lot of fun."
<br /> to explore the properties of wa- The city estimates the play-
<br /> ter,planners said. grounds together will cost
<br /> Or they can just splash about$1.5 million,with
<br /> around in the water on a hot around$425,000 of that to come
<br /> August afternoon.That's from a 1998 bond measure
<br /> bound to be one of the main at- passed by voters to improve
<br /> tractions at the larger of the and expand city parks and
<br /> two playgrounds,to be built in open spaces.
<br /> west Alton Baker Park near The city hopes much of the
<br /> the parking lot.There,a"wa- project will be funded from
<br /> ter spray plaza"will have grants and community contri-
<br /> waves,jets of water and sculp- butions,and officials are ask-
<br /> tures of jumping salmon. ing for donations of cash,labor 1
<br /> Nearby,a pair of treehouse and materials. �e ks-4er-Guard
<br /> villages will entice preschool Three service organiza-
<br /> and older kids to climb,slide tions already have agreed to
<br /> and engage in fantasy play. help.The Eugene Lions Club, 'December 19,2-00
<br /> The flexible,geodesic net Eugene Active 20/30 Club and
<br /> climbers will provide for a va- Eugene Downtown Rotary
<br /> riety of activities.And a path plan to help fund and build the
<br /> circling the playground will be playgrounds.
<br /> a peewee version of Pre's Trail The playgrounds are ex-
<br /> around the park. pected to be partly finished
<br /> It all spells adventure and and open late next year.A for-
<br /> outdoors,said Sally McIntyre, mal dedication is tentatively
<br /> a principal with MIG."I think set for spring 2005.
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