Neighbors plan carnival to fund Chinook Neighborhood Park

Kids living north of the Whipple Creek Greenway currently travel to school over a pedestrian footbridge south of 7th Place and through five blocks of undeveloped land with no paved pathway to reach Northwest 142nd Street, where they turn west towards Chinook Elementary School, Alki Middle School and Skyview High School. Friday, Clark County Public Works presented its draft plan to craft a path through the vacant land, turning it into Chinook Neighborhood Park.

The North Salmon Creek Neighborhood Association (NSCNA) is planning a fundraising carnival to take place this summer that would add a gazebo and benches along the pathway of its first neighborhood park.

“Literally, before the parks department bought the land, they were trespassing,” said Paul Scarpelli, president of the NSCNA. “One of the biggest things is the safety. It might encourage more kids to walk to school.”

Scarpelli said the association has talked with Fred Meyer, Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation and local schools about hosting the carnival. It’s still considering other fund-raising possibilities and needs more volunteers.

“The biggest obstacle for us at this time is finding a location,” said Barbara Anderson, secretary for the neighborhood association. “Once we find a location, we can set a date.”

The gazebo could cost anywhere between $45,000 and $60,000. The benches cost between $1,500 and $2,000 each – the NSCNA wants three – and have to be bought through Columbia Cascade Company, which provides the benches for all county parks. The total fund-raising goal is $75,000.

Robin Washington, the county’s project manager, said bidding for the project won’t begin until next April, when the design is finished. Construction could take three to four months.

For more information about volunteering, contact Barbara Anderson at barbara.anderson@msn.com.