By Jordan Studer
jstuder@wbcowqel.com
After a few years of struggling, Galion was able to successfully open their newest addition to their East Park, an interactive aquatic playground referred to as Splash Park.
Since the pool that used to be in East Park had been removed, the city tried to get the idea up and running a few years back, but luck just didn’t seem to be in their favor. After many roadblocks, Splash Park had its grand opening Friday afternoon. The joy and laughter that filled the air was a sure sign that the long wait conveyed a great reward.
“It seemed like it was never going to happen, but I am so glad it did. It’s going to be such a wonderful edition to the East Park for the kids,” commented Galion City Council member Shirley Clark, who also chairs the Parks and Recreation Committee.
After discussing the many hoops that the city had to jump through to have their vision come alive, Clark explained that Mayor Tom O’Leary played a very large role in the project and should be recognized.
“Our mayor has worked so hard on this, we’ve had a lot of ups and downs with it, but it’s finally materialized. We owe him a lot of gratitude for all he has done for this,” Clark said.
A beaming O’Leary walked around Splash Park watching the faces of the mass of kids that showed up to have fun.
“I think that the sounds of the kid’s voices in the back really says most all that needs to be said… certainly getting to this day has taken a while, but it’s something that we have been thinking about and planning towards for a couple of years. So it’s a great day,” O’Leary explained.
The interactive water features stationed in Splash Park appeared to be a big hit. When asking a few of the children playing in the water what their favorite item was, the slide with water effects, known as Toby the Tiger, was the biggest reply.
Ten-year-old Destany Palaisa said that without a doubt her favorite part was slide. Palaisa also commented how glad she was that Splash Park opened so that it would give her more of a variety of things to do besides just go to the pool.
Although Toby the Tiger took the trophy for most loved feature, many other structures were enjoyed as well. Between the in-ground fountains, water cannon, and multiple additional sprayers, Splash Park ensured that there was plenty of entertainment for children up to the age of 12.
The hope is to keep the happiness spilling over as the park is currently set to remain open every Monday through Friday from 12 to 5 p.m. with no charge for admission.
As a way to not waste water, Splash Park has a recirculation system that takes the water that goes into the drains and filters and treats it. The water will also be checked daily by the City of Galion Water Department to make sure to maintain the balance of chemicals.
To ensure ample amounts of safety, the Splash Park will be manned by the Galion YMCA or the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. New fencing was put up around Splash Park and the installation of security cameras is in process as well. It seems as though all measures have been taken to guarantee that the Splash Park can entertain as well as protect the crowd that it brings in.