The long wait is almost over. The town crew is expected to do final landscaping around the popular Big Green Slide at Botelle School next week, once again opening the 60-foot slide to area children.
After long negotiations with the supplier, Creative Recreation, the slide has been restored and is ready for use at no cost to the town.
The slide has a tortured past. The original was vandalized by teenagers in 2019. The teens came to the playground, failed to gain entrance to the slide itself because of its gated entrance, and opted instead to jump up and down on top of the green plastic segments. Attempts were made to repair it, but it was soon discovered that the wooden supports were rotted and needed to be replaced as well.
Replacement became a controversial topic in town, with some residents objecting to the $80,000 price tag. Money was eventually taken from ARPA funding and private donations, but it was not until 2023 that the slide was replaced and opened up to young children.
Then catastrophe struck again. Almost immediately, the replacement failed due to cracked flanges and improper footings, rendering it unsafe. It lay abandoned as efforts were made to get Creative Recreation to make an adjustment.
“Public Works tried to get all the landscaping finished before winter set in but obviously the weather did not cooperate,” reported First Selectman Henry Tirrell. “It’s been a long time coming.”