Weissport Council on Monday approved payment of $8,589 to George Ely Associates, playground providers, that will pay approximately half of the bills remaining for the new playground which will be completed this spring.

The playground was a dream of Concerned Citizens of Weissport, who spent many years raising the $10,000 seed money for the project. The major portion of the playground funding, approximately $60,347 was provided through a grant by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.Council President Tim Rehrig recommended that council pay half the amount owed until the remaining funding of $4,500 is released from DCNR.The playground will be completed in the spring and will be opened to children after it is inspected and approved for use. The new state of the art playground will have the latest and safest equipment. The playground was designed with children ages 5 to 12 in mind, but there will also be an area for toddlers. The new playground will have three slides, climbing wall, bug panels, bounce buttons, balconies, a seesaw, a dino ride and flutter-by spring rider, a tetherball post with a ball, a toss-up, swings with 10-inch high seats, a handicapped accessible seat and a tot seat.CCOW also announced that it is applying for 501 (c) 3 non profit status and will be changing its name to Weissport Recreational Committee so that it is eligible to apply for grants on its own.The grant for the playground was secured through Weissport Council while CCOW members began the application process for their own non profit status. WRC will also be the non profit organization behind the Weissport Redneck Festival which will be held over Labor Day weekend in September.WRC meets at 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month at the Weissport Borough Hall. The group is planning to hold a community wide Easter egg hunt for children and grandchildren of Weissport residents at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 27, in the borough park.Tammy Solt, WRC treasurer, asked council's approval to hold the egg hunt and other activities throughout the year in the borough park, which includes permission to hold the Weissport Redneck Festival.Rehrig said that the mayor Jonathan Troutman is the person that approves park use and with Troutman not being present, the request will be tabled until Troutman has the opportunity to look over the requests.Council also voted to sell the 1988 blue dump truck for a minimum bid of $1,500 and the unmarked 1998 Crown Victoria police car for a minimum bid of $1,200. The vehicles can be inspected from 10 a.m. to noon on March 5 and March 12. Bids will be accepted until 6:30 p.m. April 5. The bids will be awarded at the April 5 meeting.Rehrig also noted that residents may not throw snow into the streets before or after they are plowed according to a Weissport ordinance. Anyone doing so may be cited by police.