City improves ADA access

Last week, a very special swing set was dedicated to children with special needs in our community. The specialized playground equipment is the result of a partnership with a local Girl Scout Troop and the city of Green River.

Girl Scout Troop No. 1932 has a lot to be proud of, as they worked very hard to sell a lot of Girl Scout cookies and raised $1,900 to put toward this project. The city met them with $2,200 to complete the project.

The girls did more than sell cookies to make this happen. Their troop came up with three ideas for a “Take Action Project” and hosted a meeting with the public to get ideas. They even started a poll on Facebook to get input from the community and used that input to make their decision.

They chose an expression swing, which is a set of two specialized swings that accommodate children with various special needs. The swings can also be enjoyed by anyone who visits Collier Park.

“My troop and I would like to dedicate these swings to all the children in our community who have a special need. We hope that they can use it and enjoy the park as much as their friends and family. We hope they can create memories by being able to interact with everyone,” Girl Scout Alexis Cory said.

At the dedication last week, Brookelyn Phillips shared that the expression swing was inspired by her little sister, Kinley, who has special needs.

“Our troop would like to thank her for being our inspiration/model and letting us use her for the face of our endeavor. She will forever have all of us as a big sister,” she said.

It was heartwarming and inspiring to see these young women contributing to our community. They are ages eight to nine, in second and third grade, gaining valuable experience connecting the dots between their hard work selling cookies and the impact it can have. Kudos to Girl Scouts Troop No. 1932 and their leaders for their leadership.

But wait, there’s more. This is one of several ADA efforts in Green River. You may have noticed the work being done to sidewalk, curb and gutters on East Teton and Bridger this summer. Truncated dome mats were installed on several corners that link senior and low income housing to our community’s grocery store and pharmacies.

This is a WYDOT grant funded project and part of the Transportation Alternatives Program. The project included East Teton, Bridger, West Teton, Cumorah, and Crossbow.

Having a community that is friendly and accessible for all is important. We now have several parks that have ADA playground equipment (Collier and Hoover Parks) and going forward, sidewalk, curb and gutter configurations will ensure ADA compliance.

 

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