Police investigate playground fire
Gilbert, AZ -- Neighborhood children used to flock to the playground in the Jake's Ranch community in Gilbert, climbing on the play set and whipping down the slides. But now those slides lay in piles of melted plastic, and a chain-link fence and yellow fire-investigation tape is wrapped around the area.

An arsonist torched the playground on Jan. 23. Most of the metal structure still stands, but the bars are rusted and warped, some dangling above the ground...

Neenah (Wis.) seeks to gain national recognition as a playful city
Park and recreation leaders want Neenah to be the first community in Wisconsin to earn a Playful City USA designation.

The recognition is part of a national program honoring cities and towns that show a commitment to play and the healthy development of children. It is similar to the Tree City USA award that celebrates urban forestry programs.

Last year, 31 communities met the standards of a Playful City, including two in Iowa and one in Illinois. No community in Wisconsin bears the designation.

"I've always felt that our recreation program was as good as anybody's in the state, so this is certainly a worthwhile thing to pursue," Mayor George Scherck said....

ANKENY, Iowa -- On March 25, neighbors of Somersby Park were invited to cast a vote for their favorite park playground design. With three designs to choose from, over 50 votes were cast, including votes from a number of kids that had the opportunity to select what amenities will be in their new playground.

The three designs, provided by Boland Recreation, Inc., varied by the types of swings, slides, climbing walls and teeter totters, as well as the shape of the playground area. A company representative was also on hand during the voting to answer questions and explain how each piece of equipment worked.

The winning design features a large tower structure, a set of swings and unique equipment from the Xccent playground company called the Gyro and the X-Wave 2.

One young man, participating in the democratic process for the first time, cast his vote and then excitedly asked, “Can we go play there now?”

Playground voting is one way Ankeny engages its citizens in projects and activities and advances the city council’s goal to promote active lifestyles and community involvement. The process begins with a series of neighborhood meetings in which city staff work with residents to determine the types of amenities that will be included in the park and what the playground will look like. Staff then begins work with a design team in developing three different playground designs. Neighborhood residents are invited back a month or so later to vote on which one of the three designs they like best. The design with the most votes is the one that is installed in the park. All are eligible to vote – especially the kids, as they will be the primary users of the playground!

The winning playground will be installed in June as part of the initial development phase of the park. Other improvements include landscaping, a trail loop and the Fallen Soldier Memorial Plaza, in honor of an Ankeny soldier and resident of the Somersby neighborhood, recently killed in the war. The seven acre park will eventually grow to nearly 14 acres, through future land acquisition.

Ankeny was selected as one of 31 Playful City USA communities in the inaugural year of the national recognition program administered by the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Applications for 2008 Playful City USA status can be downloaded at www.playfulcityusa.org and are due by May 15, 2008.