BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. -- Among the many signs that this town will return to better times in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is a shiny new playground in the heart of downtown.

The colorful facility, which sports four swings, a triple-wide slide, tiny teahouse, high-tech zip line and sand box, was bought to town by Kaboom!, a non-profit group that focuses on helping communities build playgrounds throughout the United States.

It’s the first of many playgrounds the group hopes to help bring to Katrina-damaged areas. Bay St. Louis topped the list thanks to the efforts of town natives Virginia Reynolds, Cheryl Goodnow and Joellyn Gilmore, according to Kaboom!

Community members themselves turned out 650-strong on Dec. 17 at Carol Vegas Park, which surrounds the Old City Hall, to do the actual construction. Roped off for a week to let the concrete cure, the playground was opened for use over the Christmas weekend. A number of children and teens took advantage of a sparkling afternoon on Monday to try out the new equipment.