Dear Karen and BOD,

The aim of this message is to notify you that the original wood product
installed at the park has been replaced by a garden variety tan bark.

This is a safety issue. 

The original material was a specially treated wood that has uniform
sizes (quite small) and a smooth surface to minimize or prevent slivers.
The uniform sizes prevent mis-steps and twisted ankles.  Kids used to be
able to walk around the play structure in bare feet with out getting
poked by large or irregularly shaped pieces, or slivers in their feet.
Twp photos are attached (#1 and #2) which remind you how the material
originally looked and what it should still look like today.

The newer material is garden grade tan bark.  It includes very large
pieces and a variety of sizes.  It is full of slivers and is not
conducive to walking bare foot.  (When kids jump off the structure and
into the material, they offen place their palms on the ground and get
slivers in their hands, too).  The attached three photos (#13, #14, #16)
demonstrate the lower grade material and the issues mentioned above.

It is the recommendation of the park committee that the sub-standard
material be replaced to the original quality when the park was first
opened at Riverwalk.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Regards,

Anita Neuman
Riverwalk Park Committee Chair