Playground Update - Sept. 8, 2016 The blue ropes are waiting to complete the 17-foot climbing net. But first comes the base gravel to fill around the equipment. Then the rotating net (like a merry-go-round), zip line, talking tubes, giant chimes and other pieces can be installed in the next 10 days or so.

Watch for the rubber surfacing to be poured in place over the gravel fill, the last two weeks of September, dependent on weather.

Landscaping may not be ready for the dedication and grand opening of the playground on October 15, but that’s okay. Plan to bring the kids to be the first to play on this amazing long-awaited playground!

The playground made huge progress with volunteer help last week, but it is a long way from completion. Next will be the gravel fill around the base before the final playground pieces are installed. The last two weeks of September will be reserved for the poured-in-place rubber surfacing to finish things off. But not quite! There will be an irrigation system, rail fencing and landscaping added in early October, readying for the grand opening at 11 a.m. on October 15. Have you added the big event to your calendar yet?

Twenty-four volunteers showed up this morning to help build the tower, the swings, the zip line and more. It took digging in the dirt, learning to work together with strangers and a lot of sweat, but the volunteers came away pleased with what they had accomplished. Many say they will return Thursday and/or Friday! A few more volunteers are needed to get the job done, ages 18+. At this point, forget signing up, just show up! Proceed to the playground (you can’t miss it!) at Sunset Beach. A pair of gloves, your water bottle and some sunscreen is all you need. Lunch from Zeek’s Pizza will be provided.

Mark your calendar for the October 15 ribbon cutting of the new playground!

OMG! What an exciting morning Monday was! The sun was already warming the perfectly calm lake, osprey were seen flying overhead, and early walkers with children or dogs in tow were out stretching their legs along the lakeshore paths. But the excitement was all at the new playground site as a giant crane lifted pre-formed concrete components of the playground from the truck trailers that had delivered them from Texas. The next big install dates will be next week, August 24,25, 26, when volunteers arrive to add the slides, the climbing net, the zip line, the twin towers and more!

More volunteers are still needed for ½ day or full-day shifts! Volunteers must be 18 or older. Lunch will be provided by Zeek’s pizza. Please sign up at this link:

www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

Get ready, here comes the playground equipment! This week, Cadman’s donation of concrete has been poured for the foundations of the large concrete structures coming to the playground — next Monday, Aug. 15, beginning about 8 a.m.!! Come watch the Issaquah Mining Co. coal mine and mountain as it is lifted into place. And the Mushroom House. And the twin towers. It will be an exciting morning as the playground begins its journey to an October finish date!

But there will still be lots more for volunteers to help with during Community Build Days, Aug. 24, 25, 26. It will take 15 volunteers each day. Zeek’s Pizza will provide lunch!

Volunteers must be 18 years old. Sign up for half day or all day shifts, www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

This installation is part of a project honoring Snoqualmie elder Xa-cha-blu, usually known as Marie Louie, born about 1800 in the village of Toltx, now the town of Carnation. She lived most of her life on the east shore of Lake Sammamish, and traveled by canoe and on foot between Seattle and the Cascade mountains.

Earth movers, big machines, bulldozers, backhoes are all part of the excitement of the coming of the new playground at Lake Sammamish State Park. Bring the kids and come watch! W.S. Contractors is completing the site prep this week. Then there will be cement trucks coming to pour foundations for the heavier playground pieces, and big cranes to lift the equipment into place.

Volunteers are needed the week of August 24-26 to help put the playground together. While some construction skills will be needed, there are jobs for others that have no skills at all. The foreman can teach you how to spread gravel.

To volunteer, contact director@flssp.org.

One of the most exciting aspects of the new all-access playground will be its zip line! It may not go across a canopy of treetops, but it is sure to be fun for all ages. Just bring the rope back to the top of the starting platform, climb on board the disk and hold on as you zip your way across the playground! Visit the playground site this week and you’ll see that the paved sidewalk around it is nearly complete. Irrigation lines and a few foundations for playground equipment will be done in the next couple weeks, then it’s time for volunteers to help construct the equipment.

If you have an interest in volunteering, email director@flssp.com to be notified of times and dates when they are known.

Playtime can be educational! Lake Sammamish State Park has a mission to be a living laboratory for environmental education — even on the new playground!

In addition to the salmon "stream," kids will learn from signage that will share fun facts about mushrooms and pond life. Did you know that frogs don't drink water, but absorb it through their skin? Now you do!

Another local connection at the playground will be the long-forgotten Issaquah Mining Company, named on the mountain and mine.

The site work on the playground is moving quickly! Be sure to come check it out at the park. Kids enjoy watching the earth movers and cement work during the weekdays!

In August we welcome the ‘Kids Obstacle Challenge,’ a 1-mile course full of obstacles for kids to run with their parents. You can find event details at http://www.kidsobstaclechallenge.com/

Paddling in the Park – Lessons and Rentals! Through Sept. 10 - Now's the Time to Paddle the Lake!

Can you imagine the sound of music? The giant chimes and the outdoor xylophone-like instruments have arrived at the park, ready for installation in a few weeks! Add the giggles of children at play and Lake Sammamish State Park will have a new sweet tone carrying across the lawns and beach before we know it. This week some of the concrete foundations and sidewalks are being poured. Progress! If you would like to volunteer to help construct the playground equipment, email director@flssp.org to be notified as dates get firmed up in August and September. You can then register for your preferred time slot. Volunteers 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Washington State Parks & Recreation is upgrading the surface of the playground to poured-in-place rubber, making it the most accessible possible for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers. The investment will not only put a great finishing touch on the playground, but will make it easier to keep clean by parks staff. Geese will not likely be attracted to the rubber surface and fall leaves can be blown off.

The surface will be colored to represent grass with a salmon stream meandering throughout the playground structures.

We are very close to reaching our goal and your donations are still very valued. To donate, visit Playground4All.com or mail a check with a clear designation for the playground to Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, PO Box 605, Issaquah, WA 98027

Thank you!

Fencing around the playground site is complete and equipment is on site to move around the dirt in preparation for the playground. Come watch the progress! However, Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park still needs to raise about $25,000 for the playground. Donations can be made online at www.Playground4All.com or send to FLSSP, PO Box 605, Issaquah, WA 98027.

Donate $1,000 or more and have your name on a boulder that will be placed at the playground. But hurry, the plaque must soon be ordered!

June 1 – Ground breaking day! The state awarded the site prep contract to W.S. Contractors out of Buckley. They expect fill dirt, rocks, gravel etc., donated by Lakeside Industries, to begin arriving June 1.

This custom 9-foot-tall blue heron has been fabricated and flown cross country from Denver. The heron will be the centerpiece of the new all-access playground coming to the park this summer. Watch out! The heron might just spray you when you walk by, keeping you cool on a hot summer day in the park!

Special thanks to the Issaquah Arts Commission for helping to fund this special piece.

Looking for an outdoor community service opportunity? Come volunteer for the Living Laboratory, a restoration project at Lake Sammamish State Park! Volunteers will assist with removing invasive species from an area near the lake shore. Come get your hands dirty, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and help us create a healthier, more beautiful park!

Walk ’n Wag dog walk comes to Lake Sammamish State Park! Get ready to register your doggies, friends and families for the first ever Walk ‘n Wag at Lake Sammamish State Park, 10 a.m. to noon on March 19.

Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park raise 80% of goal for new million dollar all-access playground. Still need your help!