Needed Improvements To Clinton Nature Preserve

I'm not sure why the children's playground has been neglected so, but I decided to take some pictures and tell you about some of the things that needed to be fixed or improved.  You can find the pictures at http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563634483LnJzUt

Some things aren't absolutely needed, but would most likely be appreciated by citizens who visit this park.  Such as having the Douglas County Master Gardeners plant flowers in the two flower beds in which there are pretty much no flowers, only a couple of shrubs.  Maybe a fenced-in compost pile could be something to consider because it would create excellent nutrients for the plants already in the children's playgarden. 

Something desperately needed, I'm sure, is a vending machine for bottled water and another for healthy snacks, because there isn't a water fountain in the entire park.  This would also give the park needed income for improvements.  Another picnic area near the children's playground would also be appreciated--sometimes that picnic area is full of people on busy days and there isn't another one near the playground.

But what is really needed are improvements to safety.  For example, there are open trash cans in the children's play area.  These trash cans need to be covered, or animals will get into them--much like I found a trashcan on the day I took these pictures.  Two spinning poles are missing--one has a hollow tube sticking up out of the ground and the other is covered by an orange traffic cone.  Also, there is a sand/erosion problem.  Sand is somehow coming out of the sandbox and covering the walkway next to it and also getting into the wood chips in the next play area.  Sand is also piling up in the circular driveway in front of the playground.  I found two swear words traced in the sand in this location last week--and one of them began with an f.

Down on the trails, there is a large bridge going over a creek that has a slanted incline that is difficult to step onto and there are loose boards in the middle of the bridge.  I'll add pictures of the bridge later.  Also, the metal poles holding the bridge up are rusted.

The driveway into the gravel parking lot has a sinkhole as well, so if you hit it at a certain point, well, watch out.  The gravel parking lot should also be expanded--I've seen it full and I've had to park in the field across the drive, and the field there is very uneven because the sand and dirt covering it has caused erosion and there are deep ruts in the dirt.

Also, the fence around the playground needs to be replaced.  Part of it is due to shoddy construction--boards don't meet other boards evenly, metal screws holding the fence together are missing, some fence slats (bearing people's names, people who helped build this playground) have fallen off (or been kicked off, possibly) or have split in two (I'll add a picture later).  It just seems like, to me, if the Junior League helped build the playground, they should help with the upkeep or the county should.  They might also include a map to the park for people who have never been there before.  A lot of people don't know there are several trails or that there is an old log cabin at the end of one of these trails.

I'll be adding more pictures to Webshots.com as time allows.  I intend on going to the Hydrangea Festival next weekend (June 7-8) so I'll have pictures of it.

Anyone have any other suggestions for improvements to Clinton Nature Preserve?