Riverside breaks ground on playground | The St. Clair Times | annistonstar.com – Anniston Star

RIVERSIDE The city of Riverside has broken ground on a new playground at the city park.

Mayor Rusty Jessup said the city recently began work on preparing the ground for new equipment that was delivered to the city earlier this month.

Jessup said the playground is three years in the making and has seen large support from the community.

A lot of people in Riverside want to see this happen, Jessup said.

Jessup said the new community playground is the culmination of volunteer work from across Riverside.

Jessup gives particular praise to the Riverside Beautification Organization and its president, Julie Pounders.

She is the one whose really carried the torch, he said.

The mayor said the new playground equipment was funded through the RBOs continual fundraising, such as their annual poker run, and their constant search for grants.

Pounders said finally having ground broken on the project feels wonderful. Pounders said the RBO raised a total of $20,000 for the playground equipment and were able to receive a grant from Gametime in Pelham, the company the equipment was bought from, that matched those funds.

She said her organization has put a lot of hard work into the project to finally get it done.

Pounders told the city council during its Dec. 7 meeting that the RBO had ordered the equipment and all that remained was leveling a place for it and buying surfacing.

Jessup said that work has now begun. He said due to some left over money from last year's budget and private donations from citizens the work on leveling the ground, building a retaining wall and surfacing should cost the city less than $15,000.

He said he hopes to have the playground ready by the summer.

Jessup said the city is working to improve its city park one step at a time, and says there's still work to be done. The mayor said the city really values its green spaces, and he believes it's one of the reasons people come to live in Riverside.

It's part of the quality of life we enjoy by living in Riverside, Jessup said, adding that people want to be one with the nature that surrounds the city.

Pounders said the new equipment will help compliment that natural appeal with it being themed around blues and greens.

Jessup said, while the city cannot make huge park investments like larger cities, it will continue to work to make sure people can enjoy its natural resources.

We still consider ourselves a rural Alabama town with rural Alabama values, he said.

Taylor Mitchell, Daily Home reporter covering Pell City.

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