City crews ready park for season

RANDOLPH – Youngsters can climb and slide into summer with new playground equipment installed at the Randolph Area Veterans Memorial Park.

The city purchased the new piece in 2021 for about $26,000 and, once installed, will be reimbursed for half of the cost due to a grant from the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District.

“It’s huge,” Randolph City Administrator Ben Benton said of the new equipment. “There’s multiple slides, tic-tac-toe, shade structure, different climbing platforms; the circumference is 20-by-30, so it’s a massive footprint.”

The new play structure is near the park entrance on Fisher Street between the practice and baseball fields and replaces the aging wooden play structure at the baseball field.

“It was leaning, warped and cost-prohibitive to maintain something that was unsafe for kids,” Benton said. The only item remaining of the old playground is an updated, enclosed sandbox.

There was a delay in installing the equipment due to other improvements made at the park last year, Benton said. Under the direction of the city’s park board, improvements last year included a new baseball infield and softball batting cage, improvements to the baseball batting cage and concession stands at the softball field, as well as improvements to the city’s swimming pool, including more seating and shade structures.

“In the past, it’s been a community effort to install things like this. I personally couldn’t be more proud of City of Randolph Public Works staff to find time, find a way to come together and always get things done,” Benton said of the latest installation.

The new playground is just one item checked off the to-do list for the city prepping for the summer season.

Pool opening soon

These first two weeks in May have been set aside to clean and prep the city pool for the season, which will include repairing a four-inch valve that started leaking last season, Benton said.

Applications for lifeguards are still being accepted for the upcoming season, which may open as early as May 22, weather pending.

Season passes will be for sale at the city office with no price increase this year.

More than 120 youth have signed up for swimming lessons at the city pool this summer. Kristina Swantek is the American Red Cross certified instructor.

Fundraising is an ongoing focus for an aquatic center to replace the aging city pool, Benton said. He just received a large check from the Class of 1981, which put the total amount raised for the project at $92,000. The Randolph Elementary Student Council also hosted an aquatic center fundraiser Monday night prior to the spring concert.

“It was exciting to see the elementary doing its own fundraiser. I would highly encourage anyone who is interested to facilitate a fundraiser, as this is a project that will benefit the community for generations to come,” Benton said.

Once fundraising hits $100,000, Benton plans to take fundraising to the next level by reaching out to foundations for matching grants.

JEO Engineering recently completed an opinion of cost and the project remains $1.2 million.

The city will not be using sales taxes, property taxes or any loans to fund the project.

“We know this is a taking a long time, but we’re doing it the right way in benefitting the community without further taxation or debt. Some things worth doing right take time,” Benton said.

Let’s play ball

Nearly 120 youth have signed up to be part of Randolph’s Summer Youth softball and baseball with practices already underway and games expected to begin in about two weeks.

Two upper-level Legion teams are also set to play ball under the direction of Eric Brown.

The city of Randolph received the College World Series grant for the second year in a row, which will provide $7,500 for a load of Red Ball Diamond Aggregate — finely crushed limestone used for the infields — and shade for guest spectators at the softball field.

“Our goal is to build the shade structure in May before the bulk of games start,” Benton said.

Those attending ball games or utilizing the park this summer will have the inconvenience of the Middle Logan Creek floodplain project construction for the second year in a row. To access the park, motorists will need to use Sholes Road or Douglas Street. Floodplain construction is expected to wrap up this fall, Benton said.

Future improvements

The city’s Park Board suggested relocating the basketball court to the tennis court, but the Randolph City Council did not fund that project this past fiscal year. Instead, the city will be pursuing a grant.

“The current one (basketball court) is always flooding when it rains and no one really uses the tennis court,” said Julie Kint, Randolph’s Park Board president.

Many ideas have been suggested for repurposing the existing basketball court if it is moved to a different location. Some suggestions include building a bicycle or skating ramp, an additional sand volleyball court, green space for picnicking or even more playground equipment.

Kint said the Park Board has also discussed adding back in a small campground along the creek once the floodplain project is completed.

A concrete walking pathway or trail contained inside the park is also in process, although that project won’t be completed this summer, said Josh Rayford, city treasurer and president of the Randolph Area Foundation.

The city was awarded a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) grant for $92,000 for the recreational trail; however, it was well below what was requested and the total project cost of $250,000.

Rayford said a new downscaled design was resubmitted and approved by NGPC, ultimately shortening the length of the trail. The Randolph Area Foundation is making up the monetary difference to fully fund the project.

Although NGPC is the state granting agency, the funds provided are through the Federal Highway Administration’s portion of federal motor fuel excise tax paid by users of off-road recreational vehicles.

The eight-foot-wide trail will span 3,250 feet. The current design is for it to travel alongside the perimeter of the park and the Randolph High School football field fence and eventually connect with the limestone trailhead created as part of the Middle Logan Creek floodplain project. A trail map will be provided at a later date once it is finalized by engineering, Rayford said.

“It could change a little bit here or there,” he said.

Next, bids will be accepted from engineering firms for the project. Additional environmental and tribal studies and reviews also need to occur before a construction company can be hired.

The initial engineering and review process could take a few months or even up to a year, Rayford said.

“Initially, I thought once you get the grant, it would be fairly simple, but because it is money administrated by the federal government, it does require you to follow quite a few steps,” he said. “They want this to be maintained and last at least 25 years. Following all these steps secures that we can do that.”

The entire project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2025.