360.378.4953 -- 580 GUARD STREET -- PO BOX 1946, FRIDAY HARBOR, WA 98250

Family Park Playground

Located on Argyle Avenue at San Juan County Fairgrounds.  Park is open dawn to dusk.  In addition to play equipment there is a covered shelter with two picnic tables and a barbecue. 

For everyone’s enjoyment, please observe the following rules:

Park hours are from 8:00 a.m. until dusk. This playground is designed for children ages 2 to 12.

Children should be supervised by an adult.

Equipment may be slippery when wet.  Use extra caution.

Please, NO PETS, NO SKATEBOARDS, NO SMOKING, NO ALCOHOL

If you notice anything that requires attention, please call Island Rec at 378-4953.  We appreciate your cooperation.  Enjoy your visit.

Family Park Playground Renovation Completed in December 2004

One of the most exciting things that happened this year was the renovation of the playground at Family Park. The playground was first constructed in 1990, and few changes had been made since then. Because this playground is the only public playground on San Juan Island, the play equipment was heavily used over the past 14 years. In addition, portions of the equipment had been removed because they were beyond repair. In short, the equipment had lived out its useful life. So, in May of 2003 the Island Rec Board took the initial steps toward what would ultimately be an almost total renovation of the playground.

In May of 2003, Island Rec Board member Denice Brown began informally polling parents and children who were at Family Park to determine what they liked and did not like about the playground. Then in June of 2003, Island Rec formed an ad hoc committee of interested parents and grandparents to help decide what changes to the playground would be most beneficial to the greatest number of users. The committee members were Winnie Brumsickle, Cere Demuth, Nancy Lindenberg, Piet Visser, Kim Wickman, Shannon Wilson and Denice Brown. In addition, Mary Lou Iverson, a professional playground safety consultant of Kingston, Washington assisted the committee by providing important information regarding safety considerations.

After new play equipment was selected in the fall of 2003, Island Rec spent the next several months investigating options for funding the renovation. In September of 2004, Island Rec received news that it was awarded a private grant for the renovation. The play equipment was ordered and then installed by a crew of volunteers in November under the able supervision of volunteer Scott Zehner. After pouring concrete and laying new surfacing, the park re-opened to the public on December 5.

The private grant awarded to Island Rec called for a dollar-for-dollar match. Island Rec's match was composed largely of donations of manpower and supplies. In that regard, the renovation would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the following:

• SCOTT ZEHNER OF ZEHNER CONSTRUCTION
  
  
• BROWNE’S HOME CENTER
  
  
• DARREN OLSHEFSKY
  
  
• BILL MCKAY
  
  
• HERB’S TAVERN
  
  
• ROCKY BAY CAFÉ
  
  
• SAN JUAN COFFEE
  
  
• ROASTING CO.
  
  
• MARKETPLACE
  
  
• HARBOR RENTAL & SAW SHOP
  
  
• SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

And a big thank you goes to the fabulous volunteer crew: Scott Zehner, Denice Brown, John Boyd, Mike Erickson, Brad Fincher, Ralph Hahn, John Kulseth, Chris Nelson, Jay Ott, John Pachuta, Greg Taylor, Tom Williamson, Vic Woodward and Dan Seaton and the Sheriff’s Work Crew. Finally, a note of thanks to Cere DeMuth, Kathryn Dernham, Kim Wickman, and Shannon Wilson for their kind contributions and support.