Nebraskaland

52 Nebraskaland • July 2021 MIXED BAG It is always nice to have our work recognized. With that in mind, a message from a coworker brought a smile to my face this winter. "Dang pretty pic of that crapper!" he wrote. He had noticed, apparently with some envy, a photo of a new concrete latrine accompanying my news release about a long list of capital improvements at Chadron State Park. Having worked in media for more than a quarter of a century, I am no stranger to a spirited discussion about newsworthiness of a given topic. This is one such case. As someone said, people expect parks to have a bathroom, so is it really a big deal when they get new ones? That is a great point. However, I remain impressed by the modern concrete showerhouses and latrines, scores of which have been installed at our state parks and recreation areas during the past decade. They are certainly a big improvement over the wood structures they replaced. One asset, perhaps surprisingly for a restroom, is appearance. Despite the concrete make-up, these models excel at mimicking more attractive materials, such as wood siding and cedar shake shingles. The concrete showerhouse at Fort Robinson State Park's Soldier Creek Campground, installed in 2018, is molded to match the same white siding of the many historical buildings on the property, for instance. You've certainly heard the term that something is "built like a brick ... "? Well, concrete works pretty well, too. With roofs strong enough to support a few hundred pounds per square foot and walls that defl ect wind gusts in excess of 150 mph, the fi reproof structures would surely garner admiration from the Three Little Pigs. The same coworker who tongue-in- cheek complimented me for my photo later sent me an image he had captured of damages from a vandal's shotgun blast. While the exterior was pitted from the shot, it merely marred the surface. (Side note: Such vandalism surely serves as a sad commentary on the smarts of those who commit it. "Hey, let's damage this nice thing that was paid for with our permit and fee dollars, and complain when they charge us more for permits and fees to fi x it.") Vandalism aside, concrete models also require less maintenance than those of other building materials, allowing parks to put that time and resources into other, perhaps more brochure-worthy, areas of the park. Regardless of whether or not these structures deserve as much space in print as, say, a new fl oating playground or ropes course, you surely agree they are a big deal. After all, no park attraction is more important than this one when you need it. BUILT LIKE A BRICK ... By Justin Haag Concrete latrines and showerhouses, such as this one at Fort Robinson State Park's Soldier Creek campground, are resilient and complement other architecture on the property. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND Concrete restrooms are a big deal at parks.

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