CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — Canyon County and Celebration Park celebrated the return of their deck after a year-long renovation project. The improvements are already making a noticeable difference, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony came at an ideal time.
Celebration Park is Idaho's only archaeology-focused park, featuring petroglyphs and an atlatl range next to the Snake River. The location is popular for school field trips.
"Canyon County has Idaho's only archaeology-focused park, which is Celebration Park here, and so a lot of what we do is basically creating stewards in the environment, especially related with archeology," said Nichole Schwend, Director of Canyon County Parks, Cultural and Natural Resource.
The park's goal is to make it accessible for everyone, which the old deck made challenging.
"It definitely needed some improvements, it wasn't ADA compliant, that's something we wanted to ensure that you know that a kid with a wheel chair can come up and be able to throw the atlatl without needing a whole lot of extra accommodations. It should just be accessible to anyone," Schwend said.
With the help of the commissioners and the county, they were able to make the $270,000 project plan become a reality.
"This has been an ongoing project that has carried over into a number of years that we are really proud of," said Canyon County Commissioner Leslie Van Beek.
Van Beek says it took work to get where they are right now, but projects like these really bring communities together and teach them about Idaho's history.
Many county leaders tried the atlatl but missed the mammoth target.
"It's harder than it looks, so you'll have to try it, Leslie," said Van Beek.
I tried it and missed terribly.
Interpretive Ranger Kristin Stone says the now-shaded range has made a difference in kids' experience, and for her, too.
"The first time I taught it with the shade, the difference was shocking," said Kristin Stone, Celebration park ranger.
"There's no other feeling like it, what a more noble thing to do than get people locked in with their landscape and that history and through deep time and connecting everything, it's awesome," said Schwend.
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