Making a SPLASH

Big changes are on the horizon for Rhinelander’s Hodag Park in the form of a 13,000 square foot playground, a 3,000 foot splashpad and a unique art installation addressing the issue of social isolation.

On Monday evening, Brandon Karaba of the Rhinelander Kiwanis Club presented the city council with plans for the lighted playground and splashpad. He noted that the club has already raised approximately $780,000 (including a $20,000 donation from the club) and the full price tag for the project is estimated at approximately $1.6 million.

Pictured above is a screenshot of the proposed playground to be added to Hodag Park this summer.
(Submitted image)

The new playground would replace the existing 30-year-old play equipment and includes special features including a climbing wall, two ziplines, a ship structure and an electronic game, he explained. For older children, there will be 15 and 17-foot slides.

The surface material under the playground equipment will be four-inch rubber turf.

Karaba noted that the playground is designed to be “inclusive” and will include a serenity spot. Likewise, the splashpad is also designed to appeal to children of various ages.

Importantly, the city will have control over the water flow while the splashpad is in use as well as its hours of operation, he added. 

The water will turn on with the push of a button attached to a stem, but the city will determine the duration of water flow, anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, according to Karaba. 

The new amenity would not interfere with the Lights of the Northwoods holiday display, he added.

In his report to the council, city administrator Patrick Reagan called the proposed playground and splashpad “a great opportunity for this park’s improvement” paid for on the front-end by generous donations from the community through the Kiwanis Club, but noted that the city will have ongoing costs (water, electricity, maintenance, etc.) which will need to be budgeted for in the future.”

“I am excited about this opportunity but this excitement cannot cloud our responsibility to provide Council with as much information as possible, which we are now in the process of providing,” he explained.

In his presentation, Karaba estimated the annual cost to the city “per season” at approximately $9,400 with just under $7,000 of that amount attributed to water-related costs.

Karaba noted that city water foreman Curt Johnson was consulted about the project and he advised that as long as the water rate is no higher than 100 gallons per minute, operation of the splashpad should not adversely impact the city’s water supply.

Johnson also briefly addressed the council during the presentation to affirm that opinion. He also noted that the city is in the processing of adding a new well and the hope is city wells 7 and 8, which have been offline since 2019 due to PFAS contamination, will eventually be back in use. 

He did note that there is some question as to how/where the water will be discharged. A lift station may be required and sewer fees would be more costly, he noted.

According to Karaba, work on the playground portion of the project could begin this fall, if Kiwanis reaches the $1.1 million mark in terms of pledged donations. The splashpad would follow in spring 2025.

When the discussion shifted to the council, one alder expressed some concerns.

Alderman Tom Barnett stated that the designs shown to the council did not appear to show ADA-compliant equipment for children with special needs and expressed a desire to see the city include such equipment in one of its parks.

He also said he believes the perception of the public will be that this project has been placed ahead of the skate park project.

“I think shooting this ahead of the skate park is going to send a really, really bad message to the community,” he said, noting that he doesn’t want the young people of the Over It! group who have worked for years on the skate park project to feel as though they are “getting the shaft.”

“As I tell a lot of people in this town, perception is everything,” he added later. 

Later, other alders noted that the council took action on the skate park design two weeks ago and that project is absolutely moving forward. This project is different from the skate park in that construction is being funded by a service club, via community donations, and the finished product will then be gifted to the city, they stressed.

“We’ve put our money where our mouth is (with respect to the skate park), we’re dedicated to the project, it will move forward,” alderman Steven Jopek said. “This is a privately funded gesture by Kiwanis. I think they are two separate entities and I think we’re being equally supportive to both.”

“Probably, it would be a bad idea to ignore what Kiwanis is offering this community while we also push forward for Over It! and those students who definitely need the skate park,” he added.

The council ultimately voted unanimously to approve the splashpad/playground project.

According to a Kiwanis press release, donations to the project can be made by contacting Karaba at 715-218-8139 or [email protected]. 

Donations can also be made to the Rhinelander Community Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, via the Hodag Parks Improvement Fund (HPIF). Checks should be made payable to Rhinelander Community Foundation and designated to the HPIF in the check memo and can be designated specifically for the splash pad or playground at the donor’s request. The Hodag Parks Improvement Fund was established in 2016 to provide financial grants for priority projects at Hodag Park. Any size donation is welcome and is non- refundable. 

In addition to its initial $20,000 donation, the Rhinelander Kiwanis Club will hold a Hodag Park/Splashpad summer raffle fundraiser with proceeds dedicated to the project. 

“The Kiwanis mission has always been to give back to the children in the Rhinelander community, this is a project that so many kids will be able to use for many years to come,” the release states.

Periodic updates on the fundraising effort and other project news can be found on the Kiwanis Club of Rhinelander’s Facebook page.

The River News encourages readers to view Karaba’s entire presentation and the council discussion at www.hodagtv.com.

Public art sculpture 

Ashley McLaughlin of ArtStart provided information in support of an application submitted by Artstart and artists Witt Siasoco and Norma Dycus Pennycuff to install an interactive sound sculpture entitled “Together” in the outdoor shelter at the Beach House in Hodag Park.

According to McLaughlin, the plan is to place a series of mirrored poetic signs along the pathway to the shelter where the bench sculpture will be located.

“Anyone who sits on the bench will hear a recording of community members talking about social isolation,” McLaughlin explained, noting that this will be accomplished by placing a sound induction unit inside the bench.

Pictured above is a screenshot of the proposed public art sculpture to be added to Hodag Park this summer.
(Submitted image)

According to information submitted to the council, this application is related to the community’s participation in the One Nation One Project, a national arts and health initiative between artists, local governments, and community health providers designed to “activate the power of the arts to heal our communities.”

“In Rhinelander, we are creating a day of art that will include a March Against Social Isolation and public art that fosters conversations about suicide prevention,” the submission states. “Suicide, in particular teen suicide, is a rampant epidemic in rural communities like Rhinelander. Anecdotally, the majority of Over It! participants have had one or more friends lost to suicide in the past 3 years. As a part of the event, we will work towards creating a permanent outdoor sculpture that will incorporate audio elements. The sculpture will feature a collection of interviews with residents that reflect on social isolation, suicide prevention, and friends lost. We are currently working with Marshfield Clinic and Oneida Co. Health Dept. on gathering data and interviews for this portion of the project.”

The “day of art” is scheduled to take place on July 27, McLaughlin noted.

According to the application, the bench will be a high density foam steel lath structure coated with a 2.5” layer of concrete (strengthened with fiberglass additive) with a finished layer of mirrored tile.

The mirror theme will also extend to the ceiling of the shelter which will consist of mirrored tiles mounted on plywood secured to the framework.

The council unanimously approved the request to install the sculpture.

The full application, with photos and additional information, was included in the council packet available at https://www.rhinelanderwi.us/document_center/Agenda%20Minutes%20Packet/2024/4.22.24%20Rhinelander%20Common%20Council%20Meeting%20Packet%20FINAL.pdf.

Mclaughlin’s full presentation is also available at www.hodagtv.com.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].