Early delivery fuels need for Lions Park volunteers

OSBURN — It’s normally a cause for celebration when a package in the mail comes early. When that package is new playground equipment and the old stuff isn’t gone yet though, that calls for some community involvement.

In April of this year, the city of Osburn and the Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation teamed up to bring new life to the aging Lions Park in Osburn. Located at the corner of West Mullan Avenue and Washington Street, the park’s structures and playground equipment have certainly seen better days. Thanks largely to the efforts of Lions Park Project (LPP) leader, Jenna Grant-Arthun, and Silver Valley Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Paige Olsen, this issue is in the process of being rectified — albeit a little sooner than expected.

“The park equipment arrived much earlier than anticipated,” said Grant-Arthun at the most recent Osburn City Council meeting. “It wasn’t supposed to be here till the end of October, and it showed up last Tuesday.”

To make room for the shiny new playground, LPP is selling raffle tickets for the current play structure. Other items, like gift baskets with merchandise donated from local businesses, will also be raffled off for those not interested in the old playground equipment.

Grant-Arthun says that support for the project has been strong so far and it’s important to keep up that momentum.

LPP held a Small Community, Big Hearts event in May that attracted more than 150 locals to support the project and show the concept of the new park from the company PlayCreation. Included in the concept was the new Fitness Court, piloted by Olsen.

Both the fitness court and the new Lions Park recently received $50,000 in grant funds from Shoshone County. These funds were a part of the $2.5 million that the County received through the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund program, authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act. The fitness court will be integrated with shock-resistant sports flooring and supports functional fitness movements that allow up to 28 people to use the court simultaneously.

The playground equipment will rely on volunteers from the community to be built, with some major companies supplying support.

“Dave Smith is putting together a group of people that will help, along with Fire District No. 1, “Grant-Arthun said, “that will be incredibly helpful, but we still need a lot of help from the community.”

LPP has planned a multiple-day, community-build event from Aug. 25-27. Starting Thursday, a builder from PlayCreation will be on hand and set out a couple of posts, as well as a net feature and platforms.

On Friday and Saturday, the builder will remain for support and instruction, but it will primarily be up to volunteers to assemble the final product. Grant-Arthun says this is a common practice that many communities go through to save money. There will be a variety of volunteer opportunities, ranging from fundraising to assembling play equipment.

To sign up or purchase raffle tickets, contact Jenna Grant-Arthun at the Osburn City Hall by calling 208-752-0001, or visit https://signup.com/go/tkeeeKO to sign up for a specific task and day.

“We want volunteers from the community to sign up beforehand, not just show up the day of, please,” Grant-Arthun said. “It should be really fun, we will have shirts made and have a barbecue.”

Raffle tickets for the old playground equipment are $1 each or 6 for $5 and all proceeds will go directly toward the Lions Park Project.