Ground broken for Coon Creek Cove playground

Individuals representing the Army Corps of Engineers, Phillips 66, Kaw City, the Kaw Lake Association and the Kaw Lake Educational Foundation gathered Friday morning at Coon Creek Cove at Kaw Lake for the groundbreaking of a new playground.

The project is the first new playground at Kaw Lake in 40 years, and will include a play structure with two slides, a springy turtle, a spinner and a swing set that includes a traditional swing, a toddler swing and a handicapped-accessible swing.

The project includes ground cover and a covered picnic table.

A community build day will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, July 21, and  the public is invited to come work on the playground. There will be jobs for all skill levels and physical abilities. Especially needed are any Phillips 66 employees, spouses or ConocoPhillips retirees. Work is expected to take all day.

Participants in the groundbreaking include Peat V Robinon, Lake Manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Col. Chris Hussin,Commander, Tulsa District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;  Austin Unruh, Ponca City Tourism; Mike Mattea and Brad Dierlam, Phillips 66; Kaw City Mayor Karla Hunsaker; Brook Lindsay, Kaw Lake Education Foundation; Patrick Darby, Phillips 66; and Mike Bundy, Kaw Lake Association.

Brad Dierlam, Phillips 66; Dakota Allison, Assistant Kaw Lake Manager, and Peat Robinson, Kaw Lake Manager, hold a display showing what the new playground will look like at Coon Creek Cove.