Just days before Winlock Miller Elementary School was set to open its new playground on its first day of school, a vandal struck.
The destruction, according to court documents, included the removal of steel posts that had been placed in wet cement to cure, along with damage to another structure.
The setback left the administration no choice but to delay its opening and make repairs. Replacement materials were ordered. Contractors were rescheduled. Children waited.
Two months passed.
On Oct. 31, the playground officially opened. Students flooded the area in Halloween costumes.
On Tuesday, students, staff, parents and administrators commemorated the long journey by hosting a celebratory ribbon cutting.
Before the ribbon could hit the floor, children rushed past onto their new playground.
Winlock School District Superintendent Michelle Jeffries called the project a “significant upgrade” that shows a commitment to creating safe and inclusive spaces for students.
The old equipment, installed over 25 years ago, had “become broken, worn and unsafe for student use,” Jeffries wrote to The Chronicle on Tuesday.
A plaque at the school indicates the previous equipment was dedicated on March 30, 1998, and was purchased through fundraising efforts from students, parents, staff and the local community.
The need for renovation was obvious. The question was how to finance the project.
“To fund the replacement, the district utilized an equal blend of Transition to Kindergarten funds, capital funds, and local levy dollars,” Jeffries wrote. “This project has been a priority for our district, and we were able to approach it responsibly by drawing from three funding sources.”
Principal Ashlie Auckland said it took about six months to look for companies to complete the project. She called the delay caused by vandalism “bittersweet,” but said the kids had a great time in their costumes during the playground’s opening day.
Auckland said the old playground qualified for “emergency repair” under board policy. At one point, a slide had to be blocked off after it became weak with cracked plastic. The playground was also inaccessible to students in wheelchairs.
The new playground is now able to serve all elementary students, “including those who were unable to access the older equipment,” wrote Jeffries.
Features include new slides, a large “teeter-totter” that encourages cooperative play and fits up to 10 children, a jungle gym, a spinning egg and various climbing structures.
“Importantly, the design provides accessibility for younger children and students who use wheelchairs, creating more opportunities for inclusive and collaborative play,” Jeffries wrote.
Jeffries said the goal is to keep the playground open to the public, even when school is out of session. She hopes the new space can serve both students and the broader community.
“We’re proud of this beautiful area, and we want our community to enjoy it as much as our students do,” Jeffries wrote.
On the same day of the ribbon cutting, 19-year-old Winlock man Joseph Frank Lockwood made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court for one count each of first-degree malicious mischief and second-degree burglary.
Lockwood is accused of vandalizing the Winlock playground equipment in August, causing over $5,000 in damages. He faces up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines for each count.
Lockwood is scheduled for arraignment on Nov. 26 and is not allowed to have any contact with Winlock Elementary School while the case is pending.
