By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The pile of mulch that was situated on Jefferson Street just north of 17th Street now has a home. Last Friday, the Barton Community College wrestling team helped Great Bend Rec staff move the mulch to the playground at the GBRC Activity Center. Director Chris Umphres was happy for the help.
"We had 90 cubic yards of playground mulch delivered to the cul-de-sac just south of our playground," he said. "That's just half the battle of bringing in that big of a truckload. The other is to find the hands and the manpower to move it from the cul-de-sac to the playground."
Umphres said new mulch is added about every two years as the old mulch deteriorates. Fourteen inches of the stuff is used to ensure the safety of the kids utilizing the playground. The wrestling team and Rec staff spent approximately three hours installing the specialized mulch Friday.
"You can't use regular mulch because of the splinters," said Umphres. "It is actually a playground mulch that goes through a process that you can actually roll around in it and you won't get hurt."
Umphres called it a good community project as Barton sports training staff helped two years ago, and USD 428 used it as a community service day the time before that.