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RANDOLPH – The Randolph Area Veterans Memorial Park has benefited this year from new playground equipment.
Part of the funding for the recreational area development project came from the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District. One of its board members attended the Randolph City Council meeting on June 14 to present a check for $13,188.55.
Jay Reikofski of rural Foster, one of two Subdistrict 1 representatives on the Lower Elkhorn NRD board of directors, congratulated the city on having a new enclosed sandbox, playground equipment and rubber mulch installed at the park.
“We’re happy to support projects such as this, and you should be very proud of your accomplishments,” Reikofski said. “The Lower Elkhorn NRD works closely with people across our 15-county district, providing funding for a wide variety of projects.”
Randolph City Clerk/Administrator Ben Benton said the city is grateful for the 50 percent cost match provided by the NRD that went toward the project.
“That helped pay for the new playground at the park, as well as the rubber mulch fall protection that we put around the playground, as well as two other playgrounds at the park,” Benton said.
The rest of the price of the project, which cost $28,799.62 overall, was paid for through a mixture of taxpayer money and funds raised by the Randolph Park Board.
John Dickes, the city’s public works supervisor, and his employees worked on the project in April and finished it by the start of May.
Items for the project were purchased in 2021, but the installation did not happen for about two years.
“We were just too busy in ‘22 with new hires and training and whatnot,” Benton said. “John and I met over the winter months and came up with a plan to get it installed before Mother’s Day weekend, and he and his team made it work. They made it happen.”
Reikofski noted the Lower Elkhorn NRD hopes the completed project is “a source of great community pride” for Randolph.
“On behalf of the Lower Elkhorn NRD board and staff, we are happy to cooperate with the City of Randolph on this valuable recreational area development project,” Reikofski said.
