The ribbon was cut Saturday for the new candy cane-themed swing set installed at Terrace Creek Park. In addition to city dignitaries, participants included those instrumental in making the effort happen: Members of a local Girl Scout troop, an Eagle Scout candidate and Carstar Collision Clinic owner Bruce Lingle.

Girl Scout Troop 41246 – including Stephanie Kha, Neeva Shrestha, Holland Hornaday, and Jessie Tong with Troop Leader Heather Margo – decided for their Silver Award to paint the new swing set scheduled to be installed at Terrace Creek Park. Committed to retain the park’s candy cane theme, the troop taped and masked the swing set, and Edmonds-based Carstar Collision donated a professional red-and-white striped paint job for the set.

At about the same time, Eagle Scout candidate Jared Popelka wanted to do a park project for his Eagle candidacy. He submitted a project to assist the city to install the new swing set. The old swing set was removed and city staff worked with Jared to install the newly painted equipment, and approximately 25 volunteer Boy Scouts and parents helped to complete the installation.

Terrace Creek Park was established not too long after the city’s incorporation in November 1954. The first play structure set in the park was painted with red and white stripes. Then in 1956, the Lady Lions Club donated two new metal play structures consisting of a swing set and a two-level climber, making sure to keep the red and white painted theme. The children at the time affectionately called the park “Candy Cane Park” and as they grew up, their children continued the tradition.

The play equipment has been replaced a few times over the years; however, finding commercially available “Candy Cane” painted structures became difficult. The old swing set had reached the end of its useful life span, so the city purchased a red arch swing set to replace the aging set in 2018.