SALINA – An inclusive playground has brought people of all ages and abilities together in Center Street Park in Salina to play, exercise and have fun.

Olivia’s Playground opened in June, following a dedication ceremony featuring 7-year-old Olivia Bloomfield, for whom the playground is named. Salina Regional Health Foundation successfully completed a $1.5 million All In – Let’s Play! Campaign, which received Foundation grant support, to fund creation of the playground.

LUCAS – Digital projection equipment installed in July is allowing the Lucas Area Community Theater to continue providing movies for area residents to enjoy.

The projection equipment was purchased largely with money raised in community fundraisers, with additional grant funding.

Keeping the theater open for movies also means it can be available for dance classes and recitals and other community social events.

The theater was an important part of the annual Lucas Adam’s Apple Festival this year, serving as a backup location for craft and food vendors during rainy weather. The Humanities of Kansas speaker, a free barbecue and an evening movie all took place in the theater.

NORTON – About 50 piano students of all ages and skill levels benefited from private lessons during the North Central Kansas Music Teachers League’s annual piano clinic.

During the event, highly qualified clinicians listened to the students perform a prepared piece and offered valuable suggestions on taking their pieces to “the next level.” Additional repertoire and technique ideas are sometimes suggested as well.

WaKEENEY – An LED color-changing lighting system that outlines the perimeter of WaKeeney’s downtown buildings has added to the festive appearance in “the Christmas City of the High Plains.”

Funds for the lighting system were provided by a grant, as well as proceeds from a “Get Lit” campaign, which included T-shirt sales and a Christmas in July event at the pool.

The new LED lighting system offers color-changing technology with hundreds of combinations of colors available, as well as several lighting sequences.

The lights have been used in the purple and gold school colors, as well as red, white and blue. They were all blue for National Police Week in May. The lights operate at about a third the cost of the old lights and have lowered the city’s utility bill and maintenance obligations.

The perimeter lights were first used at the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Nov. 24, 2018.

CUBA – A new concrete entrance ramp has made a Country School Museum housed in a former one-room schoolhouse on the Main Street of Cuba accessible to all.

The building was originally the Silverthorne School, built in the 1920, and it was moved to Cuba from a location two miles west of the town after it closed in 1958. It was moved again to its present location in 2009.

The interior was remodeled with all volunteer hours. Memorabilia from the former Hillcrest School, including trophies, pictures and much more is also housed at the museum.

Pictured is a child participating in a pageant at the schoolhouse.