Park crew installs new frog slide at Bainbridge aquatics center

Employees with the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District work to install a new frog slide at the Don Nakata Memorial Pool on Monday. Roughly 50,000 gallons of water was pumped out of the pool so the children
Brian Kelly / Bainbridge Island Review
Employees with the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District work to install a new frog slide at the Don Nakata Memorial Pool on Monday. Roughly 50,000 gallons of water was pumped out of the pool so the children's play toy could be installed.

By BRIAN KELLY
Bainbridge Island Review Editor
January 21, 2013 · 2:16 PM

Just one hop from home.

That's how far the big frog is from his permanent perch at the edge of the Don Nakata Memorial Pool.

Workers from the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District spent much of Monday installing the 10-foot-long fiberglass frog slide at the Bainbridge Island Aquatics Center.

Greg Fallon, aquatics facility operator, said the installation would take one day and the pool is expected to reopen Tuesday.

Fallon said about one-fifth of the water in the pool — roughly 50,000 gallons — was drained so the frog could be installed.

The frog slide should prove to be a popular attraction for 3- to 6-year-old swimmers, he said.

The frog cost about $14,000, with contributions coming during a two-year fundraising effort by the Warren Hudgens Memorial Fund. Other major donors include the Suquamish Tribe and the friends and families of the aquatics center.

Warren Hudgens was a faithful swimmer at the aquatics center. After he passed away in June 2011, an effort was launched to memorialize Hudgens with a water slide.

The parks district will have a grand opening celebration for the slide from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23. Families can attend for free.

Contact Bainbridge Island Review Editor Brian Kelly at editor@bainbridgereview.com or 1-206-842-6613.

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