APRIL 1, 2016, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
Big Toy grant application turned in
By CRAIG MURPHY
Of the Keizertimes
All that’s left now is the
waiting.
Nate Brown, director of
Community Development for
Keizer, submitted the grant ap-
plication for the second phase
of the Big Toy play structure
project at Keizer Rapids Park
on Tuesday, March 29.
The second phase for the
play structure, which opened
to much fanfare last June, is es-
timated to cost about $1 mil-
lion. Of that cost, $456,800 is
being sought via a grant from
the Oregon Parks and Rec-
reation Department’s Local
Government Grant program.
The city’s match is $556,800,
a bulk of which is $506,800 in
land acquisition costs as well as
$50,000 in Systems Develop-
ment Charges funds.
Project leaders will give
a presentation to an OPRD
committee in June, with a de-
cision expected sometime in
August.
If approved, the grant
would pay for a new rubber
surface for the play structure,
new restrooms with flush toi-
lets – a first in any of Keizer’s
19 parks – and a pathway to
the play structure.
Members of the Commu-
nity Build Task Force contin-
ued to meet after the Big Toy
was opened, with the idea be-
ing to finalize the details for
the grant application and to
elicit community support.
Brown said the entire ap-
plication was more than 100
pages.
“We got 40 letters of sup-
port, which is huge,” Brown
said Tuesday as the application
was being uploaded. “I am
feeling very good about our
chances. I’m feeling very posi-
tive about this.”
Keizer City Councilor
Marlene Parsons, who chaired
the task force, was feeling re-
lieved on Tuesday.
“It’s a feeling of accom-
plishment,” Parsons said. “It’s
come a long way. It’s been an
arduous process. This is what
we wanted to accomplish. We
told Nate and the team work-
ing on this what our goals
were. Nate and the team did
a great job.”
Waiting until August to
hear the news won’t be easy
for Parsons and others who
have been working on the
project, which first got rolling
at the end of 2012 and really
got going in late 2013.
“It’s going to be hard,” Par-
sons said. “I feel some relief
that the grant application has
been submitted. We have done
our due diligence to make sure
we have everything we need
for the grant. We feel confi-
dent we’ve done our job.”
As such, Parsons can’t wait
to see the next phase com-
pleted.
“This will add so much
to the park, especially with
the permanent bathrooms,”
she said. “This also adds a
safe pathway off of Chema-
wa Road. This is really, really
needed. It adds more ameni-
ties, both to the project and
for the future of the park.”
Having a rubber surface
was originally part of the Big
Toy project. However, due to
budget considerations that got
cut in early 2015 so that the
project could be completed
on budget and could start on
time.
“This was always part of
the project,” Parsons said. “I
was there after it was opened
and I saw the special needs
kids using it. It was a struggle
for them with the bark chips.
We knew we had to go for
this grant. We knew we need-
ed this surface to add to the
value of the park.
“I’m glad we’re hopefully
able to do it now, cross our
fingers,” she added. “I hope
the parks people will see what
we’re trying to accomplish,
that we’re trying to do a great
thing for the entire region, for
people of all ages.”
Quilt display
in Keizer
Remembering Jaren
KEIZERTIMES/Craig Murphy
A small memorial has been set up along River Road where
8-year-old Jaren Nash was killed while crossing the street
with his mother on March 11.
KEIZERTIMES/Craig Murphy
Members of the Mid-Valley Quilt Guild once again had their
work on display at the Keizer Civic Center as part of the annual
Quilts of Keizer show, which went through the end of March.
You Never Know What You’ll
Find At A Collectors West
Gun & Knife Show!
APR 2-3
State Fairgrounds - Salem
2330 17th St NE • I-5 Exit #256
Sat: 9a-5p, Sun: 10a-3p • $7 • Free parking