Volunteers finish park project early

Volunteers set to spend Saturday at Kellogg Park building a new playground can have the day off, said Mary Coakley, who is coordinating the all-volunteer project.

“They worked so hard we finished early,” she said late Friday.

In a project sponsored and overseen by the La Jolla Shores Association (LJSA), new blue, ocean-themed, state-of-the-art playground equipment gradually emerged from the sand thanks to more than 100 hardworking volunteers who donated their services during a supervised community build April 30 to May 2.

The homegrown project replaces an aging playground system that was removed by the city more than a year ago. “We’re going to save approximately $23,000 to $25,000 with the community’s providing the bulk labor,” noted LJSA chair Jim Heaton.

“It’s an adult erector set,” said volunteer Jim Kinane of the experience.

Although they had hoped to finish the project in time for Memorial Day, Coakley, who spearheaded the Friends of La Jolla Shores project, said a technical glitch will slow the finishing work that will be done by a contractor.

“It will be done by the end of June,” she added.