Sisson-Eek to see new equipment
SUBMITTED BY NODAWAY COUNTY SERVICES
While the colors are likely to change, this photo shows the IKO unit to be installed next year at Sisson-Eek Park, 406 W. Lincoln St.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — Offering more options for children in town with a love of the outdoors, yet another city park will see major improvements in the coming year. Sisson-Eek Park, located at 406 W. Lincoln St., will see new equipment installed next year thanks to Nodaway County Services.
Nodaway County Services’ mission is to help “people reach their fullest potential to live the life they want and ensure they are treated with dignity, respect and compassion,” and Executive Director Mark Parra takes it seriously.
So seriously, in fact, that NCS is donating $250,000 worth of playground equipment to the park not only to fill in the physical gap between the current playground and the basketball court, but also the gap in accessible playground equipment, thus making Sisson-Eek one of two public locations in town offering an inclusive play experience.
The other is the publicly accessible playground located on the Mosaic Medical Center – Maryville campus.
“This just gives us an opportunity to give back and really promote parks and just the community in general,” Parra said. “… We noticed that some of the places aren’t the most equipped for wheelchair-accessible and full inclusion, so we thought Sisson-Eek was a great place to really highlight that and show that.”
The park already has a wheelchair-accessible restroom and a sidewalk will lead to it. The park also has some playground features and a basketball court.
Next year, numerous new playground pieces will be installed including musical pieces like “MOVMNT Electronic Play” by Burke. MOVMNT is an electronic game that is powered by people and features a number of game options that involve single and multiplayer achievements. Other musical pieces include “Harmony Flowers,” and a “Harmony Bell.”
Nodaway County Services will also purchase an inclusive orbit merry-go-round that will fit a wheelchair, a Cloud 9 Swing with a netted seat, new signage, benches and shade umbrellas as well as rubber flooring.
“One of the big things that we’re trying to do is trying to figure out playground equipment that everybody wants to play on and everybody feels included,” Parra said.
He explained that while deciding which items to be included in the park, the agency looked at what items aren’t in the community right now and which would provide the most “bang for our buck.”
The IKO by Berliner offers an outer frame and ropes rigged within it that form a spatial net and is attached in a tensionable manner, offering a large apparatus for children to climb on and an easy-care and low-maintenance piece of equipment for Maryville Parks and Recreation to maintain.
“(The IKO) for example, it doesn’t necessarily look like it would be inclusive,” Parra said. “And (the designers) said they’ve actually put these in a lot of schools and areas for kids with developmental disabilities because it gives them that ability to be a part of everybody. Like, all the kids love climbing on these. They can climb up to where they want to be. Wheelchairs fit under it.”
The agency’s plan also will refresh some of the current equipment to help the play experience be cohesive.
“We really wanted to just kind of start with this and see what are some needs out there with the community, and what are some other things that we can do,” Parra said.
NCS Assistant Director Teresa Lawson told The Forum that their agency is about much more than helping adults with disabilities. It’s also meeting those other systems in the community.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize that our agency is more than the few group homes that we have in town,” she said. “We have a case management team that works with families that have kiddos. It’s not just adults. … Because of that we want to give back to others.”
Parra said that NCS has also worked to set aside some of its funds to be able to support people in the community who may need resources like adaptive equipment for families and their kids, iPads and glasses. He said the agency managed its funds well and decided the new playground equipment would be really good for everyone and the community.
“We appreciate all the support and are here for any services that people may need or even just resources,” Parra said. “I think that’s the other thing that people may forget about too, as families need help we try to do that, but as the community needs help, we want to be able to hear ideas that they may have.”
Sisson-Eek last saw major upgrades when MPR had old equipment torn out and new equipment installed in 2016. That equipment, manufactured by Playworld, will stay in the park.
“It’s going to be a really nice addition,” said MPR Executive Director Jeff Stubblefield. “That park is one of the most used parks (in town.) There’s a bunch of kids in that neighborhood.”
He explained that MPR had a company digitally cordon off the 11 local parks to track cellphone usage and found that Sisson-Eek was the most visited park in the last year. That data, of course, is tracking anyone with a cellphone, so there may be more children than even the numbers show.
“It really surprised me,” Stubblefield said, explaining that the equipment is best placed at a park that is very well used. He said Happy Hollow Park on the east side of town used to be the go-to park, but the neighborhood has aged and doesn’t have as many children in the area.
Parra said they hope to get everything ordered and prepared for installation in March 2024. Stubblefield suggested construction could be completed by June or July.
SUBMITTED BY NODAWAY COUNTY SERVICES
The above photo illustration shows the location of many of the items that will fill in the gap between the existing playground and the basketball court at Sisson-Eek Park.
