The Born to Learn trail is now in place as an additional feature of Constantine’s Riverview Park.
Nick Godfrey and his children – Carter, Jack, Brody and Maci – look at a “Look, Learn and Laugh” station, one of ten stations on the new Born to Learn trail for children in Riverview Park. They were accompanied by the children’s mother, Emily Godfrey, and grandmother, Barb Wittenberg. Wittenberg said, “I just love all the improvements they’re doing at Riverview Park.” (Click on photo to enlarge)
The trail was recently installed and is part of a park improvement grant from the State of Michigan. It offers outdoor learning games that build pre-literacy skills critical to school readiness.
Source: Story and photos contributed by Angie Birdsall.
These signs DO look very cool. It was part of a grant deal but there was meaningful village funds/resources in the thousands of dollars allocated either directly and or in the engineering of this in a budget year where taxes were increased, water/sewer bills increased and staffing cut or diminished in a town with 5 other parks. So I hope these get utilized and appreciated considering the priority this project was given such priority in light of these circumstances.
My only concern is that once upon a time we were considering some signage to be put up in the picnic pavillion area but was thought not the best idea because of it being an easy target for vandals. These may be of similar concern.
I hope these signs don’t meet such a fate with graffiti or being damaged or outright taken. Putting it in perspetive with a reference point, it was just earlier this year that someone stole a fairly decent size Bronze Plaque/sign of Gen Banholtz that was affixed to a huge boulder less than 100 ft from a highway so busy that it supposedly will be needing a bypass. This was only several blocks away from this area that gets alot less traffic. The boulder now sits across the street from this park next to the village office…to this day still barren that bronze memorial sign.
Hopefully folks will keep their cotton pickin hands off of these and let the kids enjoy them…..
Any idea how much each sign costs? Would love to know how much taxpayer $$$ went into telling me to pay attention to my child or listen to the birds or play pretend or give them a hug….on and on … If a parent doesn’t already know this, they aren’t going to learn it from a sign!
To Poster above…..You can find this in an earlier article in the RCJ search function. Just type in Riverview Parks.
Here’s a quote from an ealier article that should answer your question….
“……The stations – along with a Born Learning Trail, pavilion, basketball court and other items – were funded with a $108,000 grant from the state with some funds coming from area businesses and clubs…..”
To: Here’s your expensive %$#@! sign !!
I did what you said and there were no articles saying how much the signs cost. Maybe you could go back to the one that does and tell me.
To justa user name…here’s a thought were you might get the answer. As this is a tax funded project and a grant application involved, the funding breakdown should be available at the village office. The expediture breakdown would have to be detailed out in a grant request in order to receive the funding. You can ask or fill out a Freedom of Informatoin Act (aka FOIA) request. How much granularitity in the details insofar as will they have it per sign may or may not be there. Then again, I remember when I was on this board and we had a last minute $32,000 clerical error that they just couldn’t figure out where the overrun went….but this is a different group, and I have alot more confidence that they know where the spending for this is. Good hunting. Scott Chiddister