'In the name of all the kids'

The first-ever all-inclusive playground opens at McCosh Park

MOSES LAKE — Christi Dieringer turned to her 4-year-old daughter and told her it was time to go home.

The little blonde girl in the walker took a second to answer, but when she did, her answer was as eloquent as expected.

"No."

And who could blame little Ashley, really? If Ashley wanted to wait a little longer before going home, she was in her right. After all, she had waited years for a day like this.

The first-ever all-inclusive playground for children with disabilities opened Wednesday at McCosh Park. The playground will allow children like Ashley to play side by side with other kids her age, regardless of physical condition.

The opening signified not only the fact that Ashley and other children with disabilities could leave the sidelines and play like they always wanted to, it meant the successful end of a chapter in a crusade that her mother had started years ago.

"In the name of all the kids, thank you," Christi Dieringer said in a ceremony prior to the opening.

The playground opened thanks to the efforts of the Noon Rotary Club of Moses Lake, which chose the all-inclusive facility as their pet project to celebrate the 100 years of Rotary International, and the city of Moses Lake.

"I am really excited to see this," said Mayor Ron Covey of the playground located near the old Swidberg Pool. "We have to thank Rotary for having the foresight of tackling a project like this.

"This is one more thing that makes living in Moses Lake exciting," he added.

Juliann Dodds, the president of Moses Lake's Noon Rotary, said that the project was not as much about her club as it was about what Rotary could do for the community. The playground ran the Rotary about $65,000.

The playground became a runaway success seconds after little Ashley cut the ribbon, as she raced up the walkway in her walker and began playing right away, with children of all ages quickly joining her.

Roland Gonzales, the city's parks superintendent who oversaw the installation of the playground highlighted the fact that the facility has a base floor made of poured-in-place rubber surfacing, which makes it easy for wheelchairs and walkers to travel on.

"I am disappointed in myself that we did not think of this sooner," he said.

Dieringer praised the work of Gonzales and the Rotary.

"Right now, in the state there aren't any playgrounds of this quality," Dieringer said. "This is great."

Although the playground opened, it is not over yet, as new toys are on the way, including a plastic hippo and a special set of swings with harnesses.

Dieringer said that around one in 10 families in Grant County have children with disabilities, underscoring the need for a playground with such capacities.

Jennifer Newhouse, whose 16-year-old daughter Rachel also has a disability, said that this was a milestone for her, too.

"My daughter has not played in a park since she was three," she said. "She is too old to play now, but she can chase her little brother for me."

Kim Van Laethem, whose 4-year-old daughter Kelsey has epilepsy, said it was time the city did something.

"This is where community inclusiveness begins," she said. "Maybe (kids) will now go on to work together."

City authorities agreed, saying that the effects of such a facility go way beyond those of any other park.

"This is the way it ought to be," said Spencer Grigg, the city's Parks and Recreation director. "Kids, no matter their ability, playing side by side."