By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A permanent outdoor story time space for children is planned to be built next spring in Seven Hills Optimist Park, 33rd and Hillcrest, alongside the new ARC Park playground.
The project is the brainchild of the Leadership Hays Class of 2021 in collaboration with the Hays Public Library (HPL), city of Hays, Hays Chamber and Fort Hays State University.
"It's a dedicated place for kids to come and listen to stories and grow their imagination," Samantha Gill, Hays Public Library public services manager and one of 18 members of this year's Leadership Hays class, told city commissioners Thursday night.
The library bookmobile began providing a limited service this summer for children by going to Massey Park for the outdoor story time experience.
"It just really enriches the story time experience overall," Gill said. "Having it outside enriches that sensory aspect of stories and storytelling."
HPL is looking for a dedicated outdoor location for story times that can also be used by other groups and organizations - such as churches, Hays Community Theatre, and Hays Rec - to provide experiences for children.
Visitors have flocked to the ARC Park since it opened recently with new accessible play equipment and a splash pad for all ages and abilities. Funding is still underway for the third phase which will feature an accessible baseball field. Mayor Sandy Jacobs earlier had noted that a busload of children from Stockton came to Hays last week to enjoy the facility.
"It's kind of a no-brainer area to have the space," Gill said.
The story time space will be funded and built by Leadership Hays and its partners, and then turned over to the Hays Parks Department for ongoing maintenance.
The plan and design process has included Jeff Boyle, parks director. Two 5o-year-old metal slides expected to be deemed unsafe in the near future will be removed and that 34 ft. by 34 ft. area, close to Hillcrest Street, will be utilized for the story time space.
The north-facing amphitheater will be built in a rainbow design using colored concrete that does not require painting.
"It would be a very colorful place," said Sarah Meitner, another Leadership Hays class member and executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation. "We liked that it complemented the farm and ag theme over at the ARC Park."
"We met with Jeff and he weighed in on what he would like to see." The design was tweaked, resulting in minimal maintenance required by parks department employees.
"And then we took our concept to Kris Munsch over at Fort Hays. That is the other part of our team in this, that we've enlisted his help and that of his concrete class students," Meitner said.
Munsch is an assistant professor at the Fort Hays State University Center for Applied Technology. He, along with previous classes, designed and built the downtown pavilion in Union Pacific Park with NCK Tech electrical students and the assistance of professional contractors.
Plans feature a small stage, 15 inches high with a rail, and steps and a ramp leading up to it for easy access. The stage is 12 ft. by 5 ft.
Seating for the audience includes three benches at the back for adults and small stools of varying height built closer to the stage, enough for about 30 people altogether. There's room nearby for those who want to bring their own chairs or blankets.
The back stage wall would be built of different length poly-coated steel tubes welded together in placed into the concrete.
"We've also started some discussions with the kids in the welding class over at NCK Tech."
Meitner said her group and Munsch talked with professional concrete workers who believe the random placement of the stools will "keep the place from becoming a skate park."
"The entire space has an amphitheater feel," Meitner told city commissioners. "It's a whimsical place that will help the children feel like they're doing something special."
A sidewalk connects the area with rest of the park.
"Everything is concrete except for those benches and the wall. It's durable. It's sustainable. Very little maintenance. Easy to mow around."
The Hays Optimist Club is "excited about the project and feels there's plenty of the original playground equipment there to help the city with," according to Meitner.
Most of the Hays parks have been adopted by service groups which raise money for playground equipment and help volunteer their time to help maintain it.
Estimated cost of the building the story time area is $12,000 to $15,000.
A lot of that has already been raised, according Shannon Wylie, of Nex-Tech and another Leadership Hays class member.
"The cost is lower than what it could be because Kris Munsch's group is going to donate the labor," Wylie said, "and Kris will be acting as the contractor. This will be part of their class so it's kind of a win/win for everybody."
All the products and materials will be purchased locally.
"We have raised $7,150 so far, just by seven donors. We do have [another] $4,750 in verbal pledges so we're already at $11,900, as of a couple days ago," Wylie reported. The monies come from local businesses and private donors.
Signs would be erected with the names of the Leadership Hays class and project donors.
The city requires non-profit organizations to have all funding and maintenance plans in place before it will approve a park addition.
Wylie brought a personal viewpoint to Thursday's discussion.
"One year ago last month, my family and I moved back [to Hays] from Denver after seven years. We have two little boys and wanted to come back to our hometown and raise them here.
"It was a challenge between some of the things we felt we would be giving up and what we would be getting - slower pace of life, family and friends, good people," Wylie explained.
"One of the things we loved at our neighborhood park was an outdoor amphitheater. ... We went there almost every night, especially during COVID. Kids were just playing there, using their imaginations.
"So when this project came about with our class, it kind of tugged at my heart strings," she said. "Having that opportunity to bring it to Hays was something I was really excited about."
Wylie called the story time space "a blank canvas."
"In talking with people, there could be presentations from the Sternberg Museum, Hays Rec, partnerships with Hays Arts Council for small productions, poetry readings, musical artists. Although the focus is on children, we see this as a space that can be used by ages children on up. It's kind of the sky is the limit."
Vice-Mayor Mason Ruder asked if there was a need for electrical power supply at the stage.
Meitner said the library bookmobile uses a Bluetooth speaker for many events and would plan on utilizing that.
Installation of steel shade structures is under consideration "if fundraising goes really, really well," Meitner added. "That's something the Optimist Club asked about."
Boyle said planting trees available at the city's tree farm or relocating them from other areas in the city is also a possibility.
Installation of the amphitheater must coincide with the Fort Hays semester.
"Although the next concrete class is fall of 2022, there's a pretty good chance this can be incorporated into the upcoming spring semester. So if all goes well we could break ground next spring and have it completed before next semester is over," Wylie said.
Commissioners gave their unanimous approval for the project to move forward and thanked Leadership Hays for their work.