A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Puget Sound Playground, at 135 SW 126th Street in Burien, took place Friday, June 29 at 1 p.m. City of Burien and King County representatives marked the completion of the neighborhood project, made possible through the King County Community Development Block Grant program, with funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The $120,000 renovation project replaced the existing play area by adding new KOMPAN play equipment and expanded the site by adding new swings. A trail segment was added connecting the parking lot to the main park trail, for wheelchair access and parents with strollers.

The project was constructed by Pacific Northwest Earthworks L.L.C, with R & R Construction providing the play equipment installation.

Steven Roemer, Burien Parks Manager, was on hand to speak. He told the Highline Times, "In addition to this project, the city also added new picnic tables and benches to the park. This is one of the new parks we picked up from the annexation. This is great. We just took the construction fence down yesterday and it was swarmed with kids with the sunny weather. The funny thing is there is a bus stop right here for the neighborhood kids so they've been watching this progress and you can imagine their anticipation for the park to open."

"My kids attended Puget Sound Junior High School which used to be here," said Bill Pond, a neighbor of the park, and a retired carpenter. His granddaughter was playing on the swings. "There was a wood shop (for the junior high) right back there," he recalled, pointing southwest from the playground.

Burien City Manage Mike Martin watched as his 4 year-old daughter, Alia, romped on the new playground equipment. "I like the slide best," she enthused while perched on a somewhat high platform. Her dad then helped her down.