> Community News > Local News

Email: "The little community that could"
*To:		<--TO Email REQUIRED!
*From:		<--FROM Email REQUIRED!

TAMARACK CITY — Tamarack City is a magical place; the people there can turn pop cans into swingsets.

“It’s really unbelievable, how much this little community has done,” said resident Don Wareham.

Also a Tamarack City Fire Department volunteer, Wareham took the lead on a project to outfit the Tamarack City Park with some playground equipment. It’s a project that has been about 15 months in the making.

Osceola Township received approval for a $66,000 grant in 2004 to turn the property west of the former Tamarack Stamp Mill site into a public park. Although they received part of that grant, the second phase of it fell through.

But no matter. The people of the township wanted a park, and they were determined to get it.

Two rummage sales, donation jars, solicitations of local businesses and a winning float in the Lake Linden-Hubbell parade helped boost the playground fund. A dumpster outside of the Tamarack City Fire Department was filled with pop cans, emptied and filled again.

“When we counted it all up, we realized we had put about 40,000 cans into those machines at Wal- Mart,” Wareham said.

The project also got some help from a $500 Wal- Mart grant, a Keweenaw Community Foundation grant for $3,000, another $3,000 from Osceola Township and $1,000 from the Tamarack City Fire Department.

But Wareham is proudest of the money raised through the generosity of community members.

“We thought we were never going to get that money but it just kept coming,” he said. “It’s amazing to know our little community raised $13,000 for this equipment.”

The combination slide/stair/swing equipment was installed over the last few weeks, with an additional wooden swingset donated by a local couple.

The total cost for the equipment, mulch, concrete footings and corresponding expenses was about $22,000, Wareham said.

“We couldn’t believe how expensive everything was when we first started looking at it,” he said. “But I think it’s going to be worth it to have a park there where kids and families can just play and hang out.”

That was evident Tuesday, when a trio of youngsters were trying out the equipment even as more fill was being added to the site.

“It’s been a fun and very worthwhile project,” said Wareham.

To donate, contact Don Wareham at 296-3653.



Jane Nordberg can be reached at jnordberg@mininggazette.com

 

Subscribe to The Daily Mining Gazette

Share: