Community Members prep area for first of many concrete pours
Information and photos by Norm Manly
August 5 was a milestone day for the Manson Community as the “Put Back Together” phase of the new Singleton Park Playground officially was under way with the first of ten cement pours. For the past few weeks Rob Campbell, Manson Park Board Chairman and a Playground Committee member, along with his crew of volunteers were busy preparing the area. Ground leveled and forms in place, the Chelan Cement truck arrived at 6:00 AM and first cement poured into the forms at 6:07 AM.
Robin Pittman, Director for Manson Parks said, “I am so proud to be a part of this community. The support for this project has been unbelievable! We started thinking we’d just replace a few pieces of equipment to get safety requirements taken care of. After some thought, it became clear that our community’s children deserve so much more. We started dreaming big and created the vision for an inclusive playground where people of all abilities can play together side-by-side. In the words of Russell Wilson, Why not us? Why not now?”
Rob Campbell was in the construction industry in his early years, and then became a powerhouse operator for the Chelan County PUD. He served as operator of the Chelan Falls Powerhouse and recently retired. Rob was born and raised in Wenatchee, moved to Manson in April of 1995 and has been a member of the Manson Park Board for nine years. When I asked why he took on this huge project he said, “My daughter wanted a playground.” Rob’s daughter is Robin Pittman, Manson Parks Director.
This work crew (pictured) included Brian Patterson, Don Christenson, Randy Doull, Greg Neff, Rob and his trusty dog, DyLynn. A total of 40 yards of cement will be poured for this project. With the cement work behind them the crew will prepare the ground for playground equipment. Rob says, “September 15 is the date we hope to complete our work and that will be followed by the “supervised installation” of the playground equipment, which should take about a week.”
“This project received a shot in the arm from a very generous $100,000 donation from the Tom and Meg Names Family Foundation, and many more donations followed. We were awarded a grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, and since then, Lake Chelan Rotary, Manson Kiwanis, Lake Chelan Lion’s Club, Community Foundation of North Central Washington, the Chelan-Douglas Developmental Disabilities Program, and many more have stepped up. Because of budget constraints, there are a couple desirable amenities we have placed on the back burner until more funding is raised. We are very thankful for the flood of support we’ve received, and this dream is soon to be a reality,” Robin concluded.
If you would like provide financial assistance, checks can be mailed to Manson Parks, PO Box 590, Manson WA 98831. Cash and credit card donations can also be accepted at the Parks and Recreation office located at 142 Pedoi Street in Manson.
