Construction has completed on the new playground located at Lusk Elementary/Middle School (LEMS) and so far the new addition is a success, “The students are really loving the park. They say that it makes them feel excited. They love the new equipment and the opportunity to spread out and play what it is they enjoy” says Lindsey Allbright, a teacher at LEMS. Recently, a ribbon cutting and ‘grand-opening’ of sorts took place at the new playground, a location that roughly four months ago was an average construction site. As was previously reported, the new playground was approved for multiple reasons including a better play area for the students, to act as a larger park for kids that live on the east side of town whom would otherwise have to cross the highway to Washington Park, and to give teachers an outdoor learning center; the latter going over well according to Allbright, “The teachers also feel that the new seating areas and the gazeebo provide us with an area for an outdoor classroom for lessons”. Per Aaron Carr, Niobrara County School District Superintendent, Paramount Construction was awarded the bid and completed the construction with a one-year warranty “in case there are minor adjustments that need to be fixed”. While the playground has plenty to offer, Allbright admits that it depends on what student you talk to as far as what part of the park is the best, “Most of the kids answer that they love the whole thing. The new play equipment, the basketball court, and the grass areas are all very popular”. In addition to the outside classroom opportunities, Allbright adds that the park has added a new level to the school from a teacher’s perspective and helped alleviate some previous problems, “As a teacher, I think that the new playground is a much needed improvement for our school. In the past there were behavior issues during recess and now there have been hardly any”. With all desires originally set out for the park met, students better enjoying recess and learning opportunities, and a warranty for some defects, Carr says that the hopes for the park didn’t end with the construction or the ribbon cutting, “Our hope is that the playground is taken good care of and enjoyed for years to come”.