Mittge Commentary: A New Day for Penny Playground

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One of my treasured memories of growing up in Chehalis was joining a couple thousand of my neighbors to help build Penny Playground. 

I was a junior in high school, and didn’t bring much to the table from a construction standpoint, but I think I could probably still point out the wooden handrail I put into place. It was a chaotically joyful event as we worked together to build that magical structure. 

I know that countless others feel that same sense of ownership, a collective feeling of accomplishment and possessiveness toward the grand old wooden playground. Even those who didn’t swing a hammer back in 1993 were doubtless part of the fundraising effort, or were just swept up in the widespread enthusiasm that brought that project to fruition. 

According to the dedication stone in Recreation Park, it was 26 years ago next month that we built Penny Playground. A dedication ceremony was held 25 years ago, as of May 1. 

Now our community is ready for Penny Playground II, the opportunity for this generation to rebuild that aging playground and create a new sense of possibility and ownership for those who are coming into the teen and adult years. 

My kids are raising money in school (pennies, again, plus whatever other change and folding money they can bring to class.)

Adults can bring their own pennies to the table, as it were, through donations that will buy a big copper “fence penny” on a sponsorship recognition fence, complete with a short message. (Find out more and sign up at www.chehalisfoundation.org/PennyPlayground). In a wonderful twist, high school students at W.F. West will add the messages to these these shimmering, dangling coins themselves. 

The new playground will be designed from the ground up to be fun, handicap accessible, and durable. 

Notably, the playground designers are making safety and visibility a major priority. Any parent who has tried to supervise one child (let alone three or more) at Penny Playground knows that visibility and perimeter security are, shall we say, an issue.

In short, you immediately lose sight of your kids amongst the intricate twists and turns of the walkways and pillars. There’s no real barrier between the playground and the rest of the park, the meeting halls, or the nearby street.

In short, while the play structure is a blast for kids and the young-at-heart who join them, it’s a hard place to relax as an adult supervising children there.

Supporters of the current park say that they’ve heard that critique loud and clear, and will address it in the new design.



Meanwhile, I have to be honest — I do feel a sense of sadness at seeing this beautiful wooden structure fade into memory. However, even though many of us love the wooden design of the current Penny Playground, that kind of wood has a limited shelf life. 

The city has been diligent in maintaining the wood. They regularly shut down the park to apply sealant to extend the life of the softwood, but that will only go so far.  

My second-grade son, who loves the park, also mentions the time he was racing up a stairway and got a huge, nasty sliver from a well-worn handrail. (Was it the same handrail that I put into place as a teenager? Perhaps.)

From a sentimental perspective, it’s hard to see that wood go. Fortunately, it’s my understanding that the new park will incorporate several of the distinctive wooden towers from this version of the park into the entrance to the new park — an homage, if you will. I’m happy that parts of the old wooden Penny Playground will live on among the modern materials of the new structures.

The first Penny Playground brought our community together. We built it as a unified project, and we all feel a sense of pride and ownership. 

We can have that same sense of unity in supporting this new project. The old Penny Playground has served us well. It has surpassed its expected lifespan. The wood was good, but it’s time to create a new park for a new generation. 

Let’s come together again to build memories as we build our new Penny Playground. Bring your change and a few greenbacks. Maybe we can even set up a work day so that we all have a chance to swing a hammer. 

We’re not playing around, but it will still be a lot of fun to create a magical new place. 

Let’s do this.

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Brian Mittge has had many happy hours at Penny Playground 1.0, and is looking forward to version 2.0. Drop him a line at brianmittge@hotmail.com.