By Sharyn Kopf

Nothing could keep Joan Hinterschied, Russells Point council member, out of the new village splash pad—a project she’d been working on for several years. In fact, the cool temperatures and light drizzle weren’t a hindrance to those who showed up for the grand opening on Saturday, June 27.

“Our kids deserve something like this,” Hinterschied said, “and I am so happy we got to this point. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

Friends, supporters and government officials didn’t let the dreary day stop them from attending the grand opening celebration. In contrast, the weather in the days that followed this week have been much more favorable for splashing in the new outdoor attraction, with temperatures reaching into the 90s accompanied by high humidity.

Russells Point Mayor John Huffman told the grand opening crowd he appreciated all the hard work that went into the project and the support they’d received throughout the five-year process.

“This is for the community,” he added, “but especially for the kids of the community.”

Hinterschied, who is the village’s volunteer parks board director and the true champion of the splash pad, added, “This has truly been a community-supported project from the start.”

The 1,500-square-foot splash pad sits next to a 28-by-28-foot parents’ pavilion. It’s behind the pickleball courts at the Municipal Park, 433 State Route 708, Russells Point.

One important aspect of this new water play area has been making it ADA-compliant.

With that in mind, the space will have four ADA-compliant tables and a walking path around the park that’s “100 percent accessible by wheelchair.”

For the volunteer parks board director, this was a key part of the project.

“(Kids in wheelchairs) can go from the splash pad to the parent pavilion to the park to the walking path, and it will be open and ready,” Hinterschied explained.

In fact, the walking path is six-feet wide, providing enough room for any wheelchair, even adult size. ■