By GINA KINSLOW
EDMONTON — The city of Edmonton recently received word that it has been awarded a $9,500 federal Land and Water Conservation Grant to fund a new playground at Edmonton Memorial Park.
“We were one of 13 awarded out of 94 (applicants),” said Page Edwards, director of parks and recreation.
The city will be required to match the grant by 50 percent with either an in-kind contribution of labor or with a monetary match, Edwards said.
The playground will be constructed near the large picnic shelter at the park and will become the second playground the city has created at the park.
Edwards explained the large picnic shelter is often rented out for reunions, birthday parties and other events, but there is no playground area near the shelter for children who are attending events there. The playground area will consist of a slide and a jungle gym, she said.
“We are very appreciative to the governor’s office and the congressional staff for making that money available to us,” said Mayor Howard Garrett.
LWCF is a grant matching reimbursement program for the development and maintenance of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities such as campgrounds, sports and playfields, swimming and fishing areas, boating facilities and trails, said Cindy Lanham, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Department for Local Government.
The minimum amount a city or county can apply for through LWCF is $5,000, while the maximum amount is $75,000.
The city of Edmonton has applied for the grant for several years. It began asking for the maximum amount of grant funding hoping to use it to fund the creation of several playgrounds at the park.
“In the last two or three years we’ve just narrowed it down and asked for a little less than $10,000,” Edwards said.
Thirteen grants, including the one awarded to the city of Edmonton, were approved for allocation for the 2009 fiscal year totaling to $407,812, Lanham said. Other cities and counties which received the grants are: Lawrenceburg, Lawrenceburg Skate Park, $45,000; Breathitt Fiscal Court, Breathitt County Skate Park, $20,000; Ft. Thomas, Ft. Thomas Amphitheater Enhancement Project, $30,000; Christian Fiscal Court, Ruff Park Improvement Project, $40,000; Whitesville, Whitesville Ball Diamond Improvements, $36,312; Harrison Fiscal Court, Cynthiana-Harrison County Recreation Park Improvements, $40,000; Earlington, Earlington City Park Improvement Project, $17,000; Lincoln Fiscal Court, Lincoln County Parks Development, $25,000; Madison Fiscal Court, White Hall Park, $40,000; Menifee Fiscal Court, Menifee County Skate Park, $25,000; City of Brodhead, Brodhead City Park, $40,000; and Campton, City of Campton Public Park Project, $40,000.
