Outside of a few annual events hosted at the site, Laddonia’s city park does not draw much traffic. But that could change in three or four weeks.
The city took advantage of a matching program …
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![Jon Lindell of Cunningham Recreation and Laddonia mayor Josh Deimeke stand on the one piece of playground equipment that will remain after the city begins installing new features next month. Laddonia had been saving money for the project for six years. [Dave Faries]](https://epsilon.creativecirclecdn.com/mexicoledger/original/20210723-135231-Laddonia%20park.jpg)
Outside of a few annual events hosted at the site, Laddonia’s city park does not draw much traffic. But that could change in three or four weeks.
The city took advantage of a matching program offered by Cunningham Recreation to replace tired equipment with brand new slides, swing sets, a merry-go-round and other pieces. Mayor Josh Deimeke hopes to have everything installed before the end of April.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for six years,” Deimeke said.
North Carolina-based Cunningham Recreation provides park and playground equipment to communities throughout the East and Midwest, including Lakeview Park in Mexico. One of the incentives the company offers splits the cost of a project in half.
Cunningham’s Jon Lindell explains that the program is for higher dollar projects. With a $50,000 purchase, the community pays only $25,000.
He adds that few small towns take advantage of the offer.
“Most of the time they don’t have the budget,” Lindell said.
Laddonia began saving money for park equipment several years ago. Deimeke got things rolling by donating his salary for two years.
His gift amounted to just $3,000, but it helped. Some money had been set aside for such a project, but the rest came out of the city’s general fund.
The city plans to save some money by holding a common build. Volunteers from Laddonia and the surrounding area have lined up to install the equipment.
“We gave them guidelines, so they should be fine,” Lindell said.
The pieces fit together with no measurement necessary. For the most part the project requires common tools.
Volunteers will start construction in three to four weeks – “weather permitting,” the mayor said.
