ELY – Full speed ahead. That was the message from Washington School principal Anne Oelke this week to the School Board about the playground project.

She told board members at a study session Monday night that the goal of raising $150,000 for the project has been exceeded, and community volunteers could work on construction of the new play space in early August.

The school district has pledged $100,000 for the new playground, half this year and half in the next fiscal year. Oelke said numerous grant-writing efforts amounted to $7,000 from Shopko, Lake Country Power, and other organizations and foundations. “We did not get the $50,000 U.S. Bank grant, but maybe next year,” she said.

Many creative fundraising projects, a calendar sale, penny war, fruit sale, fun run and this past weekend’s rummage sale, amounted to more than $28,000 raised. Community donations, from Twin Metals, Northland Market, Zup’s Market, and many community members, amounted to almost $7,000, she said. “We just got another one last week that adds $1,000 more.”

Expenses for the Buddy Bench, fruit purchase and incentive prizes amount to about $9,000. With incoming donations of $5,000 from the Parent Teacher Organization, and $10,000 from the Ely Education Foundation, the amount raised stands at $151,400. “We still have our brat sale coming up in June,” she added. In-kind donations include site work, masonry and excavation for the community build event in August.

The final design for the new playground is still being worked on, according to Oelke. “We’re still going a little further because everything we wanted is very expensive. There are some things that are not in the design but we want to include,” she said. “The kids said they wanted more slides, swings, climbing opportunities. We showed them a video of the zip-line cruise and they all went crazy.”

Oelke showed board members a drawing of the planned playground design. The colors will be primarily in red and black. The play equipment is designed for children ages 4-12.

“There will be two lines for the zip-line and it will be handicapped accessible, including poured-in-place rubber platforms,” she said. The swing set will also have a handicapped-accessible component.

“We went for a lot of climbing areas for all kinds of active play,” she said. “A double slide allows kids to race together. There are two other slides and they are spread out so we don’t have a bottle-neck of kids waiting, like we have now.” Another handicap-accessible component to be included is called a roller slide. “This provides sensory input as they roll down. I understand that they are pretty popular,” she said.

Engineered wood fiber material will be used as a base material. “This is what is referred to as an all-inclusive playground design that meets the needs of all kids and abilities,” she said.

Space has been designed in for additional playground features as funds become available. Oelke said she is working with St. Paul-based Flagship Recreation to hopefully include one of the two desired features in the August construction event. “It kind of looks like a spider web, pyramid-shaped thing that the kids love to climb on,” she said. “Another piece, called a global motion, is what the kids really want, too. “That’s another $23,000. We planned a big footprint to make room to add these things.”

Oelke said the playground equipment order could be made by June 1. Construction is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 9-12. Project leaders in mid-June will focus on the location of the playground. There is a need to locate the new play space as close as possible to the main entrance of Washington School for handicap accessibility.

A supervisory crew from Flagship Recreation will be on hand for the construction event. Oelke listed Warren Johnson as excavation foreman, J.J. Day as construction manager, and Troy Oelke as mason foreman.

Kelly Noble and Cheri Debeltz will serve as volunteer coordinators. Oelke said the work shifts will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. As many as five to eight volunteers will be needed for four-hour shifts over the four days of construction.

Oelke assured the board that no trees will be removed for the new playground, including the birch tree clump located on the east side of the lawn. “We will not take down the birch tree,” she said. “Are you kidding? A storm took down the cedar tree and we had people crying out there. I would never just hack down a tree.”

Board member Scott Kellerman said time would take care of the birch tree. “In a few years it will just rot, anyway. They don’t last that long.”

Oelke provided the school board with a quote of $140,295 for the project. “There are a few uncertainties on final prices for concrete, the Geotextile Fabric, and the engineered wood fiber delivery,” she said.

She said the current playground equipment will be removed from the south end of the school property. “I wouldn’t mind keeping those big old mining tires,” she said. “The kids love playing on them.”