Three months ago I promised to give you an update on the project to rejuvenate the 40-year-old playground at Cantrall-Buckley Park, the Applegate Valley’s premier community-run park. The non-profit Greater Applegate Community Development Corporation (GACDC) is managing the effort. So far, the $57,000 project has attracted well over $20,000 in donations. All donors will be permanently recognized in the new community-inspired artwork coming to the park. Construction is set to begin this coming fall.

Plans are to rehab some of the existing existing equipment to conform to current safety standards and to the desires of Applegate parents. These same parents have been working with a Grants Pass manufacturer, Krauss Craft Inc., to design new equipment that will offer access to those with physical disabilities. Krauss Craft is offering new equipment purchases at a deep discount. Jackson County Parks is also donating some new equipment and will regrade the playground surface. Parks is also applying for a matching state grant from the Oregon Dept of Parks and Recreation. This money will be used to renovate the existing restroom facility adjacent to the playground. A community art project, now fully funded by a private gift in cooperation with the Oregon Community Foundation, will complement the new restroom and is designed to enhance the natural beauty of the setting on the banks of the Applegate River.

A number of community organizations have signed up to help with cash donations, design, construction, or in-kind labor. These organizations include the Jacksonville-Applegate Rotary Club, the Applegate Lion’s Club, the Applegate Garden Club, Rogue Community College Construction Technology Department, and The Disabilities Recreation Project. One local charitable fund has already made a grant of several thousand dollars and five others have expressed interest.

Local businesses are getting into the act.   So far we have donations from the Jacksonville Inn, Ramsay Realty, Applegate Valley Realty, Pioneer Financial Planning, Jacksonville Veterinary Hospital, Brewster Accounting Services, True South Solar, Bob Thomas Automotive, and the Applegate Store & Cafe. Many others have expressed an interest in investing in this wonderful park.

Individual donation boxes can be found at the Ruch Country Store, Ruch Hardware, the Applegate River Lodge, the Applegate Store & Cafe, and the Applegate Library.

Construction is scheduled to begin this coming fall. Donations are needed and welcome! You can help out by sending a check to:

Playground Project
GACDC, P.O. Box 3107, Applegate OR 97530

Truly inspiring has been the support of individual families of the Jacksonville-Applegate communities. Several thousand dollars have been donated by residents who recognize the value of Cantrall-Buckley Park to our local community.

According to the Oregon State University Rural Studies program, over a third of Jackson County residents have income that is less than or equal to 185% of the poverty level. With a $4 per car admission fee, the park is an affordable recreational outlet for many low income families. Did you know that last summer the park attracted over 7,000 family visits and 1,250 family campground nights?

Many of these families are migrant workers at local farms and orchards. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 11% of Jackson County residents self-identify as Latino. Cantrall-Buckley Park serves as a vital recreational resource for diverse and often underserved families to come together and enjoy this unique riverside resource including low income, migrant, and Latino families.

Many other organizations have been motivated to jump in the fray. The Applegate Trails Association has been out clearing the park trails and designing new interpretive signage. The Jackson County Soils and Water District is expressing interest in a grant that will support construction of educational kiosks, ecological interpretive signage, invasive plant removal, and restoration of native plants. The Ruch Elementary School science program is getting into the act with plans for students to study, plan, and remove invasive blackberries. The Applegate Watershed Council is also applying for a major grant that will do restorative work on the riverbanks along Hamilton Road.

Another exciting project is one initiated by the Ford Family Foundation in conjunction with the Rural Development Initiative. They have attracted a group of around twenty local residents who have banded together to form the “Applejack Cohort”. This group has designed a natural-art playscape for the park. This playscape will include cedar logs and boulders that will complement the park’s playground. It will also include a kid-assisted art project—a large ceramic tile turtle that will be a colorful clambering artifice. Educational signage and a park bench for parents are included. The group has already raised several thousand dollars and is close to reaching their goal. If you’d like to help them finish the project, you can send a check to:

Ford Family Foundation: Enchanted Turtle Habitat Playscape
℅ GACDC, P.O. Box 3107, Applegate OR 97530

(Note that this is a separate project from the larger playground project described earlier.)

A special Mother’s Day Brunch will be held to benefit both the playground project and the Applegate Grange. The brunch will be held from 11:00am to 2:00pm on Sunday, May 10 at the Grange on 3901 Upper Applegate Road in Ruch. You’re invited! Give Mom a day off and enjoy a delicious meal with your neighbors.

by Tom Carstens, 541-846-1025, Chairman, Cantrall-Buckley Park Committee