THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602070149
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
A fossil dig and an aquatics park are the newest projects scheduled for Chesapeake's Fun Forest playground.
The additions to the park will be constructed by community volunteers from May 1 to May 12 during the second phase of the park's growth. Fun Forest is a three-acre playground constructed last spring in City Park.
More than 4,000 volunteers built the innovative park last May with donated labor and materials.
To help assure safety for children, there is only one entrance to the park and a security fence surrounds the entire adventure. Parents can watch their children play on an assortment of bridges, slides and swings from almost anywhere in the park.
When the cost of building the park ran close to budgeted amounts, the decision was made to postpone addition of the fossil dig and the aquatics area.
Carol Rodenbaugh, the project's general coordinator, invited schools, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, neighbors, military groups and businesses to volunteer to participate in the spring construction. She said the work will be on a smaller scale this year. She anticipates needing about 50 workers per day with about 15 food service organizations to supply snacks and meals.
The fossil pit will have a dinosaur molded in cement and buried in sand. Children will be able to dig to uncover the giant creature.
Rodenbaugh said that dinosaur parts were designed in intricate detail and shipped in sections to be buried and later discovered by young explorers.
The aquatics play area will be home to three turtles, a shark and a whale tail for climbing fun.
Rodenbaugh emphasized that the park's hand tile wall, which is unique to Chesapeake's park, still has 235 tiles available for purchase at $25 each. The tiles can be inscribed to commemorate special events, such as birthdays and anniversaries, or decorated with business names or logos.
Rodenbaugh said she is canvassing for cement, masonry sand, potter's clay, lathes, work gloves, tents, tables, chairs and, of course, volunteers.
``I'm thrilled at moving ahead with additional plans for this fantastic park,'' said Rodenbaugh, who succeeds Mary C. Haddad as coordinator of the project.
Two years ago, Rodenbaugh and her husband, Lawrence J. Rodenbaugh, and their children moved to Greenbrier from Long Island, N.Y.
Shortly after she signed on to help with the Fun Forest project last year, she was assigned to the tool trailer. It wasn't long before she had the saws, routers, bits and hammers organized for checkout to work stations, and she was giving advice about which tool was best for the job.
``I've learned so many things since moving to Virginia,'' Rodenbaugh said, ``but one of the most important is how willing people are to help. Fun Forest is such a great way to meet people, give to the community and have a great time even while you work.'' MEMO: More information about Fun Forest is available by calling 482-4397. To
volunteer to help, call the Volunteer Hotline at 482-3496. For
information about the Hand Tile Wall, call 549-0571.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Carol Rodenbaugh, Fun Forest's general coordinator, thinks the
project will require about 50 workers a day.
by CNB