Open to all, new playground is designed for children of all abilities in Fort Smith
The soil is good on the 51 acres of Riverfront Drive in north Fort Smith. Just look at the tall corn stalks in rows around the park, healthy with plenty of recent rain in mid-July.
The soil has been good, and Fort Smith Parks and Recreation deputy director Sara Deuster knows it well. She has worked the land, she said.
Rising from that fertile ground near the Arkansas River, and easily accessible from the bicycle and walking trail along the river, is the new playground at John Bell Jr. Park, 1900 Riverfront Drive.
"I'm proud to say I have been with this project from the dirt up," Deuster said. "It's been a long time coming and it is something our department is extremely passionate about, our citizens have made a commitment to. So this playground means a lot, and I've been able to witness the impact it has had on our citizens, children of all abilities, parents of children who need certain accommodations who have not had access to play and had to sit on the sidelines and not given a chance to interact."
The playground is designed for children who may have different abilities is complete. The parked opened officially Wednesday, July 12 on the 50 acres.
Members of the late John Bell Jr.'s family attended the playground opening, including William Kropp III, the nephew of Bell Jr., his father William Kropp II, and Sharon Bell, wife of Jim Bell, brother of the late artist. Lisa Bell Wilson, daughter of John Bell Jr., also attended.
William J. Kropp II remembers Bell when he went through tough times in his life. John Bell Jr. was born with cerebral palsy.
Jim Bell said his brother would be appreciate the park in a big way.
"He would be proud of it. He would be really proud of it. That's something he strived to do his whole life was to make handicapped accessibility for everybody," Jim Bell said. "So this would thrill him, it really would."
The big blue park
There is a lot of blue on the playground equipment, under a blue sky it opened, the rolling hills of the River Valley in the distance.
John Bell Jr., a renowned local painter who died in 2013, lived his life with cerebral palsy. He would be proud of the park in his beloved hometown, his family members said at the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the park.
"The term inclusive has become one of the key terms used by our department over the past few years," Deuster said at the grand opening. "This has prompted discussion among citizens as to what the term inclusive means."
The term inclusive means the playground is not just accessible to everyone but also usable for everyone. There is a fence around the playground that was designed for children who may have autism or may wander off.
The playground has a soft cushiony surface that helps prevent any injury in a fall.
Deuster said, "I look forward to the impact this playground will have on the hundreds of thousands of citizens that will benefit from this landmark project that we celebrate today."
The park will have a new pavilion, and the park's soccer fields are being improved.
Mayor George McGill said he has heard some children have noticed the blue colors of the playground equipment. So the park is already known as "the blue park," McGill said.
"Amenities are critical for us to be a beacon for families, business and anyone else who is looking for a nice place to be," McGill said.
He said he will continue to think of the park as the blue one.
"I met a grandfather with a grandson about 6 years old," McGill said. "His grandson kept telling him, 'Take me to the blue park.' So I have adopted that, this is our blue park. Tell our your grandchildren that. It is an amazing place. It is inclusive. That includes me, I found a nice spot to sit and watch the kids play. But on behalf of all the citizens of Fort Smith and all across the River Valley, we want to thank the Bell family for lending your name to this park."
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: John Bell Jr. Park opens for all in north Fort Smith
