It’s been almost a decade since Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board staff removed a red, super-sized playground slide from north end of Columbia Park.

Liz Wielinski, president of the Columbia Park Neighborhood Association, still isn’t satisfied with the park board’s explanation for taking it away.

She said she plans to question the district park manager about that and other issues at Columbia Park’s monthly neighborhood meeting on Monday. The evening’s guest will be Jon Oyanagi, river district manager for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Anyone with questions about area parks is welcome to come and ask them.

Wielinski said the neighborhood association spent several thousand dollars in the 1990s on improvements to the park, including the slide and a staircase up the hill where it was situated. A data request was submitted for documents relating to the slide, Wielinski said, but the papers did not sufficiently explain whether safety was the issue.

"We want to know if they plan to replace it," Wielinski said.

The slide’s replacement is listed as a priority in Columbia Park’s next Neighborhood Revitalization Program plan, which is on the agenda for approval Tuesday at the City Council’s community development committee meeting.

Also at Monday’s neighborhood meeting, Shiela Biernat of East Side Neighborhood Services will explain a new neighborhood walking program. Wielinski said she also expects some conversation about a police standoff last week near 36th Avenue and Madison Place. Dan Haugen

The Columbia Park neighborhood meeting is Monday, April 16, 6:30 p.m. at Columbia Park Manor, 3300 Central Ave. NE. Anyone is welcome to attend. For more information contact the board at tlrogn@hotmail.com or lwielinski@yahoo.com.

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Filed under: Columbia Park, Parks