Foreman Carlos Sanchez of No Fault Industries crafts an X on Sunday for a treasure map on the rubberized surface at Meridian's Adventure Island Playground at Settlers Park. Trespassers damaged part of the surface earlier this month when they walked on it, causing a work delay.
MERIDIAN — Shoeprints are still visible on a metal slide at Adventure Island
Playground in Meridian's Settlers Park.
They're a lingering reminder that, late on Oct. 16, two people entered the blocked-off
play area under construction off Meridian and Ustick roads and — apparently
inadvertently — damaged a special play surface while trying out the fenced-off,
unfinished playground.
"They just had a little heyday — came in and played, and it wasn't ready to be
played on," said Angela Lindig, a Meridian mother of a disabled child. For the past
four years, she's been spearheading the effort to collect about $1.2 million to build a
playground that organizers say is unlike any other in Idaho.
Adventure Island was scheduled to open Saturday. Instead, a California work crew spent
the weekend repairing the cushioned, rubberized play surface designed to help children
with disabilities mingle and play with their peers.
On Sunday, Lindig said repairs are going well. Organizers now expect to hold a grand
opening for this phase — the first of two — on Nov. 6.
The play surface had to be replaced when the intruders walked on it too soon after it
was poured. The damage amounted to $4,000 to $5,000. But, Lindig said, that's money that
was supposed to go toward fund-raising for the playground's second phase.
"So to have any extra money go back into phase one when it's donor dollars, that's
frustrating," she said.
Lindig watched anxiously while the work crew carefully replaced the rubber surface.
Despite the weekend rain, the surface was dry because water drains through it.
"There's a very elaborate drainage system underneath this," said Doug Strong,
Meridian Parks and Recreation director, as he walked the site Sunday.
The surface allows children with walkers and wheelchairs to easily access a number of
Adventure Island play features. So does a series of ramps between features that resemble a
ship and a "mission control" for an outer space adventure.
Lindig said that after reading news reports about the incident, area residents
contacted organizers to offer more help. That includes members of the local Good Sam Club
recreational vehicle group, who are taking turns camping out at Settlers Park to make sure
the playground isn't disturbed until it's ready for use.
"Good people are still out there, and it's wonderful," Lindig said.