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49-year-old structure comes down as elementary school opens equal access playground

404 views · Published 10 August 2017 · 1:58 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: East Idaho News · 2017 · News & Politics

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MENAN –  Equal Access Playground opens in Menan

VO: Kids who attend Midway Elementary have a long anticipated jungle gym to look forward to at the start of the school year. But it’s not just any kind of playground. 

SOT:  “Before we had a 49 year old structure that was wood and you’d get slivers… It’s what I grew up on. It had bees that were nesting in it that we just really couldn’t get rid of,” PTO President Charries Bateman says. 

VO: The new equal access playground is catered to all children including those who have special needs. 

SOT: “Now all the kids can play, not just select kids, it’s everyone. For me that’s important,” Principal, Gary Comstock says. 

SO: 4:55 – “We’ve had the special needs kids at this school for over 20 years and they’ve never had accommodating playground equipment,” Bateman says.  

VO: The project was expected to take 6 to 10 years and cost some $60,000. Instead it took two years and cost $93,000. Community members and organizations donated to the effort. 

SOT:  5:06 - “We started with just our little fundraisers that we do with the Halloween carnival and a daddy daughter dance,” Bateman says. 

VO: The districts occupational therapist was involved in selecting the equipment.

SOT: “She chose each and every piece of the playground for a specific purpose to accommodate a specific need for a specific child,” Bateman says.

STANDUP: Although the playground looks complete phase 2 of the project begins this fall. Instead of wood chips, kids will be running on wheelchair-accessible rubber tile surfacing. 

VO: The schools former PTO president was an integral part in getting the playground for the school even though her kids no longer attend the elementary.

SOT: “Just because they’re not actually my child doesn’t mean I don’t love them. I really feel like they deserve a good playground as well,” Mikelle Bronson says. 

VO: The playground is open for public use as well. In Menan, I’m Natalia Hepworth, EastIdahoNews.com

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