Improvements planned for Othello’s Kiwanis Park in spring 2026
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 months AGO
A new splash pad is scheduled for construction in Othello’s Kiwanis Park in spring 2026.
SOURCE: CITY OF OTHELLO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | October 8, 2025 3:00 AM
OTHELLO — Construction of a new splash pad in Kiwanis Park is scheduled to start in spring 2026. Construction was planned for summer 2025, but Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said the need for state agency approval slowed down the project.
“We’re going to build it next spring,” Logan said.
Total cost of the splash pad and a walking trail through the park is about $1.26 million, money the city received through a grant.
The city also received a $346,500 grant from the Recreation and Conservation to build two new basketball courts in Kiwanis Park, along with one court that can be used by people with limited mobility. The city will contribute $38,500.
“We just felt like it would be a good thing for Othello,” Logan said.
The existing basketball court, which doesn’t have lights, will be removed, and the new courts will be constructed in its place. The new courts will have lights.
The splash pad will be located on the Shady Lane side of the park, near the park’s only parking lot.
The current plan includes water jets in the ground and on the splash pad toys. The toys will be accessible to people with limited mobility.
The splash pad will include a “super soaker,” a feature that holds about 55 gallons of water, which it dumps periodically. The toys are designed with a railroad theme, both to recognize Othello’s heritage and to tie in with the Iron Horse playground that opened in Lions Park in 2024.
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