For many grandparents visiting town for last week’s Grandparents Day at Malad Elementary School, the sight of the new playground at the City Park must have been quite a surprise.  Even for those who live near the park in Malad, the speed with which the project went from initial construction to complete park was impressive.  

The Playground committee and the city have been discussing an official ribbon cutting in the weeks leading up to last Thursday, but nothing had been finalized by that point.  Local youth groups assisted with the placement of the bark-substitute ground material last Wednesday evening, and while there are still a few odd and ends to complete—including the large sign that will list the names of supporters, donors, and all those who contributed to the development and installation of the playground—there is no denying that the playground is a big, impressive structure.  With grandparents day the day following the playground’s more or less complete installation there was no chance that it would stay uninhabited until official word was given.  Late Wednesday evening word had already spread, and by Thursday morning the playground was already swarmed with kids who had been waiting months to see what the new facility would be like.

Based on the level of excitement and activity the playground has generated in the week since its unofficial opening, it’s safe to say that it has been an enormous hit so far.  The older playground equipment (which is now fenced off at the western end of the park’s walking path) had reached a point where it was no longer capable of being easily restored, and had not been used very frequently by visitors to the park anymore.  A quick trip over to the new playground after school hours will quickly demonstrate that such is no longer that case.  

The new equipment takes its place just in time for a number of spring and summer events, where it will undoubtedly be a huge hit.  The recreation department has already mentioned the idea of potentially expanding the Little League tournament to bring in more teams—there is little doubt that the new playground is a major asset in selling those types of events to visitors.  Events like the tournament bring in whole families, most of whom have young kids in tow.  A location like the playground makes for an excellent draw for families in that situation.  

The Fourth of July, Summer Reading program, family gatherings, pickleball tournaments, and many more events will be aided by the new playground.  And of course, Malad and Oneida County residents themselves will likely experience a re-awakened appreciation of the park as a central location in town, especially those with young kids. 

As word of a date and time for an official ribbon-cutting or opening event is made available, we will make sure to present that information in our pages.