Sutton’s new Alpine Playground ready for play

SUTTON — A poster online advertising community playgrounds made it seem so easy. Simply, “Dream. Build. Play.” The Alpine Community Playground project committee members behind Sutton’s new park can add a few more steps to the poster: find a lot of money, energize the town, gather good help, work hard, then work even harder, and don’t give up. One and half years of planning and thousands of dollars later, Alpine Community Playground in Sutton is ready for kids.

On Saturday, the 5,200 square foot playground buzzed with purposeful activity with more than 50 community members and youth at a time working in four-hour shifts. Over the last three days, the hum of activity had paused only long enough to eat lunch and dinner, and even then not one person was without a task. Everyone had a job and hundreds lent a hand, making Alpine Park more than just a typical playground.

Volunteers from all over the Mat-Su Valley showed up to help in person or with materials. Grace Bible Church Pastor, Larry Davis, was in charge of the tools. “We probably have over $10,000 worth of power tools being used. It’s my job to see that they are used properly, and taken care of. Then I have to make sure that they get back to their owners,” Davis said as he kept vigilance over the tool shed.

Eagle Crest Ministry, a faith-based organization dedicated to community service, provided a bulk of the volunteer labor. “Eagle Crest kids have been a great help,” Donna Carollo said, “Lazy Mountain Church has a lot of teens who helped, too.” One text sent out Saturday morning brought a dozen Latter-day Saints volunteers to the playground in just a matter of minutes.

“There is something about working for kids that brings people together,” said Carollo. “Steve Van Cleave said it best when he said ‘I’ve never been a part of something like this just for kids.’ It makes you feel good.”

The Alpine Playground Project grew out of Alpine Historic Park’s five-year plan developed in 2009.

“We started actual planning a year and half ago after I saw the Talkeetna [Wild Woods] playground,” said Carollo, co-chair of the 13 member Alpine Park Project Committee. “We wanted the kids in Sutton to know that the people of their community cared about them.”

After that it became a matter of securing funds necessary to design and purchase the $145,000 kit from Leathers and Associates. Leathers, a playground architectural firm since 1971, also helped create Wonderland Park in Wasilla, A-Moose-Ment Park in Palmer, and Wild Woods Park in Talkeetna.

Sutton’s project team met with community members and children to design a playground distinctive to the needs and culture of Sutton. While much of the playground is styled similarly to other Leathers’ playgrounds, Alpine Park is unique in response to Sutton’s needs and character.

“The company worked with us to make sure that this playground was special just for Sutton. Just like Talkeetna’s park has an airplane and a VW bus, this park is about Sutton,” Carollo said.

The new Alpine Park sports an Eska Creek Falls mural, a “fossil dig” sandbox for Wishbone Hill, and hosts illustrations of coal mining for the Jonesville Mine. Sutton’s Athabascan culture also is included.

Alpine Playground flanks the Alpine Historic Park at Mile 61.6, Glenn Highway. This location insures a safe park. It is surrounded by the designated historical park, next to the library, and contains security cameras. Moreover, the recently renovated historic O’Neill house as a National Scenic Byways Visitor Center sits next to it, complete with a live-in caretaker.

“We’re hoping this way we can avoid some of the problems other parks have sometimes,” Carollo said.

A new trail, built through another Healthy Impact grant, winds in and around the historic park and library grounds. “Hopefully, not only people from Sutton will use this park, but travelers from all over will stop for a picnic or rest stop with their kids on their way from Anchorage,” said Carollo.

Grant money provided the bulk of the funding for the playground. Mat-Su Health Foundation funded 50 percent of the project with a Healthy Impact grant. The Rasmussen Foundation, MEA, BP and The Early Childhood Partnership of Mat-Su provided another 30 percent of the cost. The Alaska Marine Lines and Alaska Railroad Union paid for the shipping of the materials. Revenue sharing from budget helped out, too. In-kind donations made up the remaining costs.

“We couldn’t have done this without all of the in-kind donations. I don’t have them all added up yet, but the tribe [Athabascan Nation Chickaloon Village Council] has been great. They have donated all sorts of labor and machinery. Cruz Construction helped a lot, too,” Carollo said.

Grassroots fundraisers also brought in some money, as did picket fence sales. For $50 families have their names etched in composite board fencing bordering the playground.

Early Childhood’s contribution toward the park includes a $10,000 Tot Lot. The organization says it values the Tot Lot because playgrounds encourage imagination, exercise, and help children learn to play with others. Having the park next to the library makes the park even more ideal for young children and their families. However, Sutton’s fenced Tot Lot has one variation that other Tot Lots do not have: two entrances and exit points.

“In case of moose,” Carollo said.

“I think if I have anything to take away from this experience of building the playground it would be Margaret Mead’s quote, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”

The Grand Opening for the Alpine Park is 6 p.m., Sunday, May 25.

People wishing to donate to the Alpine Playground can still donate or purchase picket fence posts.

For more information, contact akcarollos@gmail.com.