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Reprinted by permission from the
Chestnut Hill Local, October 17, 2002
It was enough to make the Grinch smile. After years of planning and months of delays, the playground-raising week at Houston School in Mt. Airy had finally arrived -- only to be greeted after the first day, by a relentless, soaking rain.

The prospect of building intricately designed wooden play structures over a 7,500-square-foot area would be daunting enough without the necessity of doing the work amid downpours. With the Ithaca, N.Y.-based design firm Leathers and Associates coming down to coordinate and oversee the work and site full of tools and equipment at the ready, however, there was no choice but to proceed. And, as it turned out, nothing could dampen the spirit of the hundreds of committed volunteers who worked from last Wednesday through Tuesday to make the dreams of local kids and parents a reality.

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What they’ve built is a play area that any school in the country would be proud to call its own. Along with the requisite swings, slides and sandboxes, the playground features a huge castle and pirate ship, an outdoor classroom space, with a small amphitheater and a separate play section for tots. Wooden towers sporting curvy slides rise out of fresh wood chips where, a week ago, there was nothing but decades-old metal equipment sitting on a hard-surface play yard.

All of this seemed far away a year ago when Leathers and Associates, hired for the project on the strength of their earlier success designing the Jenks playground in Chestnut Hill, visited the school for a "design day" that involved going from classroom to classroom soliciting ideas from students.

It seemed far away this spring and summer, when construction was pushed back due to the approval process required by the city’s School Reform Commission. (A gift agreement, whereby the playground is donated to the school district and maintained by volunteers, was worked out in August.) There were also negotiations with near neighbors over concerns about increased noise and traffic, leading to some last-minute procedural and design modifications.

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And it probably seemed far away this past Friday as the rain poured down on Mt. Airy. The playground-to-be at this point consisted mostly of big wooden poles sprouting from soggy mulch, doing double duty by supporting both tarpaulins and the various structures slowly taking shape underneath them. Surveying the site, project co-coordinator Rosemary McManus could only marvel at the efforts of the volunteers.

"To go from nothing to this is unbelievable, given what the weather’s been," she said.

The sounds of hammers and electric saws rang out from a large tent where pre-assembly carpentry work was taking place. In another tent adjacent to the site, poncho-clad workers ate hot food provided by the Trolley Car Diner, Whole Foods, and Donato’s Pizza. On the playground, work was supervised by volunteer "construction captains," some of whom, according to McManus, were on-site from 7:15 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The level of commitment was not surprising, give the community involvement evident at all stages of the project. Over 500 people had pledged to donate time and/or money to the playground effort since a planning group made up of parents and community members began fundraising in 1999. Houston schoolchildren worked to raise $3,000, a challenge amount matched and exceeded by neighborhood donors. Last week, while grown-ups lugged heavy loads and hoisted tools, the kids helped with the construction effort by soaping screws and sanding wood.

Invaluable contributions were also made by local organizations and businesses. Among these were Kurtz Construction, who donated tarps and tools. PECO and McCoubrey-Overholser provided essential heavy equipment and skilled operators. The Carpenters Union sent apprentice and journeymen carpenters, who volunteered hours of their time, and Spectra Guard provided free night security from the time the construction materials arrived.

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By Sunday, the site looked completely changed. With improved weather, volunteers of all ages swarmed over the emerging swings, slides and climbing apparatus. Houston kids and others worked spreading wood chips dumped by the pileful while railings were hammered together and pre-built sections of the playground lowered into place, guided by many hands.

The enthusiasm was palpable among the volunteers. "I love the excitement," said Robin Collins, mother of Houston second-grader Lauren Messam. "It’s just a nice thing going on in the community. Nice for the school, nice for the children. It gives the children a chance to get involved and exercise some of their extra energy."

Houston student Todd Darby (busy, like Collins, spreading wood chips) also spoke about the significance of the community effort. "They’re helping to build together, and the people who are making this really appreciate...that they can all give back in a way," he said.

Lest any doubt the fourth-grader was speaking from the heart, they should talk to Carol Davis, a teacher at Houston. Darby was, she said, one of several students who spoke out in favor of the playground this summer before the School Reform Commission. With this kind of commitment coming from all involved, it's no wonder the effort succeeded spectacularly in the face of all obstacles, natural and otherwise.

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Family Concert at Sedgwick, Oct. 7, to Benefit Houston Playground

Sept 27--The Sedgwick Cultural Center will host a family concert on Monday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. to benefit the new playground to be built starting Oct. 9 at Houston Elementary School. The Sedgwick is at 7137 Germantown Ave.

Performing a variety of music for children and families will be the trio Olio, the duo Two of a Kind, Germantown pianist and songwriter Tim Shepherd, Mt. Airy guitarist and children's performer Carol Tenneriello, and members of the H-Crew, children from Houston school who have worked to promote the playground in their classrooms.

Olio blends the talents of Margo Forbes, Andi Wingert and Henrietta Morgan, who combine their gifts to showcase children's music from around the world. Carrying a message of cultural diversity, they bring a blend of musical talent and nonstop energy. Two of a Kind, David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans, have performed for schools, festivals, libraries and many other audiences in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Most recently, they appeared on Kids' Corner at WXPN-FM, and have been frequent visitors to the Houston School.

Timothy Shepherd is a composer, arranger and producer, who has performed extensively in this area, at venues such as Allens Lane Theater and North by Northwest. Carol Tenneriello, a jazz musician who has performed at the Mermaid Inn and other venues, has also performed children's music at schools and child care centers.

Admission is on a sliding scale, from $5 to $25-- those attending pay what they can. The proceeds will benefit the playground being constructed this week by volunteers at the Houston School, Allens and Rural Lanes. Volunteers, both skilled and unskilled in construction, are still needed to assist with the Build, from Wednesday, October 9 through Sunday, October 13.

Houston Students Raise $9,000 for Their School Playground; Citizens Bank Presents $300 to School

Philadelphia, June 19 -- Since last fall, students at the Henry H. Houston Elementary School in Mt. Airy have been helping to plan a playground outside their school. Today, they came closer to their goal of having one.

As of mid-July 2002, our fundraising efforts reached 71% of our goal.

Houston students started a coin drive in February to raise money to help build a playground at their school. Their goal was to raise $3,000 and every student has contributed in one way or another--bringing in pet-sitting money and babysitting money, asking relatives to "buy a board," and holding a talent show and bake sale.

When the students started their efforts, a neighbor of the school offered to match their efforts one-to-one. If the students met their goal of $3,000, the neighbor would add $3,000 to their efforts, for a total of $6,000. Impressed by the students' commitment and drive, the neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, offered to double the match.

Today, members of the Playground-Raising Project Steering Committee--a volunteer group of parents and community residents who have been working together to get the playground built--joined with the Houston students to share in the presentation of a check for $9,000 at a school assembly.

The Project Steering Committee plans to mobilize hundreds of community Volunteers to construct the playground this October.

As Houston principal Deborah Jolley said, "When you are a principal, you always are impressed by what your students can do, but these children have demonstrated unparalleled commitment to their school and their community. This check recognizes their efforts and puts us on the path toward achieving our dream of a playground here at Houston. We are grateful to the community for its support of their efforts and the bridge we are creating between school and community."

Citizens Bank also presented a check for $300 to the students today for their playground efforts. Speaking for the bank, Gwen Worthy commented, "Citizens Bank is proud to support the efforts of the students and parents of the Houston School and the residents of the surrounding community to create an imaginative and creative play structure. This is a wonderful example of school and community partnerships that benefit and strengthen neighborhoods."

Challenge Grant Doubles Dollars to Houston Playground

Photo: Mark Staples

Seminarian Gary Steeves, representing the Lutheran Theological Seminary student body, hands a contribution check to Houston student Milan Byrd. Between them, from left, are Houston students Declan Joyce, Kai Heen (partially hidden), and Phillip Francis. The seminarians collected $2,500 toward the new playground to be built at Houston School.

April 25 -- Volunteers organizing to raise a community-built playground in Mt. Airy received a big boost in late April: a $10,000 challenge grant. If the Playground-Raising Project (PRP) can raise $10,000 from the Mt. Airy community by June 1, the Philadelphia-based Drumcliff Foundation will match that sum.

Sponsoring a play structure, buying a personalized brick or picket, or donating a cash contribution will go twice as far toward building a community playground outside the Henry Houston School on Allens and Rural Lanes.

"We're very happy that the Foundation is making that commitment to our children, and we're working very hard to raise funds to help match that grant," said Deborah Jolley, the principal of Houston School. Houston students are supporting the playground fundraising effort with a coin drive, a student newspaper, speaking engagements and a May 29 talent show at the school.

On April 23, Houston students attended a ceremony at the Lutheran Theological Seminary to accept the seminarians' contribution of $2,500 to sponsor an outdoor classroom to be built at the playground.

It will all come together at the community build, June 12 to June 16. One thousand volunteers, skilled and unskilled, will start with a cement surface and create a full playground in five days, rain or shine. Click here to volunteer online or print out a contribution form.

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Houston Students Kick Off Appeal for Playground Build Volunteers

(Above and below) H Crew students at the Family Reception

Philadelphia, April 5 -- Never underestimate the energy and creativity of motivated schoolchildren. The "H" Crew is just that: representatives of each classroom at Henry H. Houston Elementary School who are working together toward bringing a community playground closer to reality. A talent show, a student newspaper, and a school coin drive are some of their activities.

But they can't do it alone: that was the message at a family reception on April 3, kicking off the April volunteer drive for the Playground-Raising Project (PRP) at Houston School. The PRP is the group of parents and Mt. Airy community residents who have joined together to erect a community-built playground at the School. The Children's Committee, formed to facilitate the students' involvement in the playground project, recently renamed itself the "H" Crew.

April is National Volunteer Month, and that's what the students are looking for among their family members, friends and neighbors. One thousand volunteers are needed for the community build, June 12 - 16 on the grounds of the school at Allens Lane and Rural Lane. The H Crew and the PRP members are signing up volunteers for skilled construction, unskilled work, and help with food, child care and registration during the build.

At the Family Reception, held April 3 at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, H Crew students highlighted some of their efforts. Second-grader Milan Byrd is a member of the speakers' bureau that will spread the word to groups outside the school. Alexandra Hall, a 6th grader, showed off copies of the group's school newspaper, the H Crew Times.

Eighth grader Harold "Dietz" Hopson described plans for a fund-raising talent show, and Todd Darby, in third grade, boosted the ongoing classroom coin drives in their classroom. One enterprising upper school student, Johanna McMahon, went door-to-door with her sister, Stephanie Johnson, and Isaiah Williams, to collect money, and chipped in her own pet-sitting earnings to boot.

(All interested persons are invited to sign up as volunteers for any days during the June 12-16 Build. Register online at the Playground's web site, www.HoustonPRP.org, which contains many more details about the project. For further volunteer information, call Wendy at 215-242-0224 or e-mail, volunteers@HoustonPRP.org.)

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Dine at Trolley Car, Mt. Airy Deli and Support
Houston Playground

Philadelphia, Feb.28 -- First Wednesdays at the Trolley Car Diner continue to support the new community-built playground being planned for the grounds of the Houston School in Mt. Airy.

On Wednesday, March 6, from 5 to 10 p.m., customers who identify themselves as dining for the Houston Playground will have 15 percent of their checks donated to the Playground-Raising Project (PRP) at Houston School.

The Trolley Car Diner is located at 7619 Germantown Avenue (phone: 215-753-1500). Future dates for Playground fundraisers are April 3, May 1 and June 5.

The PRP is raising funds, seeking sponsors for playground structures and enlisting volunteers for the playground, scheduled to be constructed by hundreds of volunteers on June 12 - 16.

Another food-related fundraiser for the playground is offered by the Mt. Airy Deli and Mini Market, at the corner of Mt. Airy Avenue and Devon Street (phone: 215-242-9274). Mention the Houston Playground while buying a hoagie and the Deli will contribute 10 percent of the hoagie's cost to the Playground.

For more details about the Playground-Raising Project at Houston, or to request a brochure, call 215-248-0159 or 215-753-0257. Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to PRP, c/o West Mt. Airy Neighbors, 6819 Germantown Ave., Phila. PA 19119, with checks made payable to Playground-Raising Project/WMAN.

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Playground Project Progresses at Houston School;
Gathering Sponsors and Volunteers

By John Ascenzi
Reprinted from the Weavers Way Shuttle, March/April 2002
Right now it's an expanse of asphalt on the grounds of the Houston Elementary School on Allens Lane, just west of Germantown Avenue. But on June 12-16, it will be the scene of an extraordinary community effort: a large, new playground, built by hundreds of volunteers in an urban, 21st century counterpart to a Lancaster County barn-raising. Mount Airy neighbors will be digging holes, handling power saws, eating donated food at long tables, and fastening together a variety of play structures, such as slides, bridges, climbers, swings, a tree fort, fire pole, and rainbow castle.

More than 700 children from Houston will use the playground during school hours, but the playground will be open to the wider community after school, weekends and all summer. "Although it is based at one school, we envision this as a community playground, just as the process of constructing the playground is a community-building effort," says Debby Seitz, a Weavers Way member and one of two general coordinators of the Playground-Raising Project (PRP), the volunteer organization of parents and community members formed last year to organize the playground.

PRP members and their design consultants met with all the children at Houston School and some invited visitors from Holy Cross School in their classrooms on Design Day, Nov. 29, asking what they wanted in a new playground. The organizers incorporated those ideas into a preliminary design unveiled that night at a community meeting. Since that time, the PRP has mounted a fundraising drive and organizing drive to gather funds and volunteers for the Build Days, June 12 to 16.

"With its long history of neighborhood activism, Mount Airy is fertile ground for a community-building effort such as this," says Debbie Woodward, a Mt. Airy architect, Weavers Way member, and the PRP's other general coordinator.

This will not be the first community-built playground in Northwest Philadelphia; the Children's Park in Chestnut Hill arose in 1997 as a neighborhood project. The same group of consultants who worked on the Chestnut Hill playground, Leathers & Associates, of Ithaca, N.Y., are also assisting the Mt. Airy effort.

Not surprisingly, a large part of the effort goes into fundraising, both at the grassroots level and along the corporate/foundation donor route. Children at Houston are contributing pocket change in their classrooms to a playground coin drive. Coin containers will also be placed at several community locations, including Walk a Crooked Mile Bookstore, and early playground supporters Coffee Junction and the Trolley Car Diner. The Trolley Car Diner also hosts First Wednesday fund-raisers each month, in which customers who identify themselves as participating in the fundraiser have 15 percent of their check donated to the PRP (upcoming dates: March 6, April 3, May 1, and June 5).

The PRP is selling personalized pickets for the playground fence at $25 each, and personalized paving bricks at $40 each, while individuals and businesses are being asked to sponsor pieces of playground equipment.

As this article goes to press, Elfant-Wissahickon Realtors announced a $2,000 donation to build a Rainbow Castle as one of the playground's largest structures, making the realtor an anchor donor for the playground's play equipment. Other structures have been sponsored by Fred's Foreign Cars and Chestnut Hill Pediatrics. Web site services have been donated by ThinkTech Design, a Mt. Airy Web-hosting and design business.

Weavers Way members who would like to volunteer their talents to the playground project can contact the PRP at the numbers listed below. Some areas in which you can contribute are:

• volunteering your labor (either skilled or unskilled) during the actual build, June 12 - 16
• helping before the Build with fundraising and soliciting monetary and in-kind donations;
• providing creative services (photography, art or writing)
• donating food/meals for volunteers during the build;
• helping with child care for children of volunteers during the build.

For a list of playground equipment available for sponsorship, to make a tax-deductible contribution, or for a brochure or more information about the PRP, contact Debby Seitz, the project co-general coordinator, debby.seitz@erols.com, or phone (215-248-0159). Also see www.HoustonPRP.org.

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Castle Helps Houston Playground Kick Off Donor Drive

Philadelphia, Feb.22 -- Realtors buy and sell plenty of houses, but it's not every day that they purchase a castle. Elfant-Wissahickon Realtors just accomplished that feat by donating $2,000 to build the Rainbow Castle at the new community-built playground being planned for the grounds of the Henry H. Houston School in Mt. Airy.

"We see this playground as a great asset for our community, and we're happy to be able to support it," said Bob Elfant, of Elfant-Wissahickon Realtors. What could be better than investing in something for Mt. Airy's children?"

"This donation is a great way to kick off the fundraising campaign for the playground," said Debby Seitz, CO-general coordinator for the Playground-Raising Project (PRP), the group of parents and Mt. Airy community residents who have joined together to erect a community-built playground at the Houston School on Allens and Rural Lanes. "Elfant's sponsoring of the Rainbow Castle is an anchor around which we can enlist the support of sponsors for other components of the playground."

The PRP has scheduled June 12- 16 as the construction dates for the playground, during which they are seeking hundreds of volunteers, skilled and unskilled, to build the play area.

The playground's features were suggested by schoolchildren who met with the PRP organizers and designers on Design Day at Houston on Nov. 29. The PRP will seek sponsors for - among other things - a pirate ship, a tree fort, a playhouse, an outdoor classroom, a fire pole, and a variety of slides, swings and ladders. The prices vary: you can sponsor a sandbox with benches for $1,000, a set of monkey bars for $450, or a bench for $125. In addition to Elfant-Wissahickon, other businesses have already pitched in to sponsor playground structures: Chestnut Hill Pediatrics is sponsoring two benches, and Fred's Foreign Cars is sponsoring (what else?) the play car.

Contributors can also purchase personalized pickets for $25, and personalized paver bricks for $40.At the same time that children at Houston are holding a coin drive in their classrooms (spearheaded by members of the Children's Committee -- students taking special roles in promoting the playground project in the school), PRP members will be seeking corporate and foundation support.

"In addition to thanking Elfant, we'd also like to acknowledge the ongoing help we have had from other supporters," said Rose McManus, fundraising chair of the PRP. "The Houston Home and School Association helped us with an early cash donation last year. West Mt. Airy Neighbors is working with us and letting us use their tax-exempt status for contributions. Coffee Junction has supplied a congenial meeting space and donated coffee for events, the Lutheran Theological Seminary provided space for community meeting, and, of course, the Trolley Car Diner has hosted several fundraisers, starting last June. In the current series, First Wednesdays at the Trolley Car, the diner donates 15 percent of each customer's check to the playground, providing you tell them you're there for the playground."

The next fundraiser at the Trolley Car is Wednesday, March 6.

One significant new supporter, she added, is ThinkTech Design, a Mt. Airy web site design and hosting business, which is donating its services to help the project debut a web site, at HoustonPRP.org.

"As we organize to build the playground, the whole activity is helping build a stronger community," added Seitz. "We welcome volunteers in all sorts of areas: helping with publicity and fundraising, helping solicit food, tools and materials, and volunteering to help on the build itself in June."

(For more details or to receive a brochure, call 215-248-0159 or 215-753-0257.
Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to PRP, c/o West Mt. Airy Neighbors, 6819 Germantown Ave., Phila. PA 19119, with checks made payable to Playground-Raising Project/WMAN).

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Mt. Airyites Raise a Playground at Houston
by Michael J. Mishak
Reprinted by permission from the Chestnut Hill Local, Feb. 7, 2002

When playground designers Dan Schumann and John Dean of Leathers and Associates visited Henry Houston Elementary School on November 29, 2001, they initiated the realization of children's dreams. This "Design Day" allowed the two to translate Houston students' visions of playground paradise into initial plans for a community-funded, community-built play area on the grounds of the school.

Wide-eyed children watched with wonder while the designers organized their ideas and began architectural sketches. "When you looked into the kids' eyes, you could see all the little architects emerging within them," said Playground-Raising Project coordinator Debby Seitz.

The Playground-Raising Project, comprised of parents and Mt. Airy residents, has embarked on an aggressive fundraising campaign for the community playground. Inspired by the community-built Jenks School playground in Chestnut Hill, parents and residents alike came together to convert an asphalt play area into local children's dream playground. Presently, local children play on the asphalt area with few alternatives.

Approximately 900 children were interviewed, from kindergarten to eighth grade. The proposed playground will enable kids to frolic through a rainbow castle, maze, pirate ship, tree fort and tire tunnel. While project directors and designers are attempting to accommodate the children's requests, one child's request for a cappuccino bar will most likely go unfulfilled.

A year and a half in planning, the Playground-Raising Project is serious about meeting its goal of $150,000 by June of this year. Interested citizens can contribute to the project in a number of ways, ranging from monetary donations to volunteering. The project is community-directed, with aid and guidance from Leathers and Associates, who have been involved in more than 1,500 community-built playgrounds, including the one at Jenks.

The Playground-Raising Project held a fundraiser at the Trolley Car Diner on Wednesday, February 6, from 5 to 10 p.m. The Trolley Car donates 15 percent of patrons' bills who tell the Diner they are present for the fundraiser. In addition to February 6, the Trolley Car Diner will participate in the fundraiser on the first Wednesday of every month.

"This project is perfect for an area as community-oriented as Mt. Airy," said Project co-coordinator Debby Seitz. The actual construction is scheduled for June 12 through June 16, necessitating approximately 1,000 volunteers over the five-day period. The finished playground will be open to children in the surrounding community as well as to children at Henry Houston School.

Interested parties may contact either of the two general coordinators, Debby Seitz at 215-248-0159 or Debbie Woodward at 215-753-0257, about donations or volunteering.

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Castle Yes, Cappuccino Bar No: Brainstorming the New Houston Playground

By Charing A. Ball, staff writer
Reprinted by permission of the Mt. Airy Times Express, Dec. 5, 2001
There were a lot of smiling children's faces when the designs were finally disclosed Thursday evening for the community playground that proponents are advocating for the grounds of Henry Houston Elementary School.

During an open meeting held last November 29 at Houston, parents, local residents, and students at Houston as well as neighboring schools got an opportunity to view the preliminary drawings of a whale of a playground, fully equipped with curvy slides, fire-poles, swings, an outdoor classroom, and a 7-tower castle.

Also on hand were designers John Dean and Dan Schumann of Leathers and Associates, whose group has been actively involved in the conception and development of more than 1500 community-built playgrounds across the world. According to Schumann, the idea is to get as many Mt. Airy residents, business people, and their families as possible involved in the construction of a new playground.

"We had a very special day today. We got a lot of terrific ideas from children, but we are going to have a hard time fitting in the football field and waterslides," joked Schumann to attendees regarding suggestions submitted earlier that day in classrooms that the design team visited.

Playground designer John Dean, of Leathers and Associates, met with children in classrooms at the Houston School during Design Day.

The open meeting followed a "Design Day" on Thursday where Schumann and Dean and members from the Playground-Raising Project Committee went classroom to classroom and met with children from Houston and other neighborhood schools for brainstorming and rough-drafting to find out what they thought should be included in the playground.

Although some of the requests from the young designers were standard - a tire swing, tree houses, and basketball court - some of the requests, like a roller coaster, skating rink and waterslide, were a bit extravagant. One confident third grader even suggested a cappuccino bar, while another patriotic fourth grader wanted a fully equipped military scaling wall.

Designer John Dean contended at the meeting that it was important to hear the children's ideas because it is hard for adults to have the same imagination as children.

"One of the most common requests we heard from children today was that they wanted grass so they can run around and play football and tag. This is something that most adults would never consider when planning a playground," said Dean. "So should I go to the adults and ask them what they think or should I go right to the source - the children?"

After the brainstorming session during the day, Dean Schumann said, they incorporated the children's ideas into a preliminary drawing. According to Dean, the entire process took five hours of sketching and resketching and consulting with the project volunteers before the final product was realized.

"The process was tedious. We had to draw and draw again the different ideas the children had, then somehow place them together to create the playground," said Dean.

According to Julie Stapleton-Carroll of the Playground-Raising Project, a non-profit organization of volunteer parents and Mt. Airy residents, the process for the planning committee has been much longer. The committee started planning, researching, and attracting community support almost a year and a half ago.

"We wanted a community playground at Houston because we felt that it would be a springboard for parents and children to view Houston as a welcoming environment for learning," said Stapleton-Carroll.

Stapleton-Carroll contended that after observing the community playground located at Jenks Elementary School in Chestnut Hill, it was clear that Leathers and Associates was the group to conduct their project. Leathers designed the Jenks playground.

For the Leathers group and the committee the process is far from over. Dean contended that it will take an additional two to three months to draw up the final blueprints and to price the prospective project. Right now, Dean and Schumann estimate that the cost will run anywhere from $70,000 to $100,000.

The committee still has to contend with finding additional funding, obtaining permission from neighboring residents, and finding the estimated 1,000-plus volunteers that will be needed to build the community playground in the desired five-day period.

"It is an amazing process. You start out with a flat surface, dig a couple of holes and in five days, you have this spectacular creation," said Schumann encouragingly to the audience.

While all plans are tentative for now, the committee used the meeting as a way to help kick off the organizing campaigns for the children's committee, fundraising committee, and the building day volunteers. According to Debby Appelbaum Seitz, businesses that have already lent their support include Cresheim Cottage Café and Coffee Junction.

Schumann reminded neighbors that much of the workload will now fall on the community, which has to see to it that what is now a slab of asphalt develops into a full-size children's mecca.

"It is important that you all tell five people about this process because it's about more than a playground. It's about meeting your neighbors and building something that can benefit the entire community," said Schumann.

If you are interested in participating on one of the committees or want to contribute to the playground fund, contact Debby Appelbaum Seitz at 215-248-0159.

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Mt. Airy Schoolchildren Helping to Design New Community-Built Playground; Design Plans to Be Unveiled at Nov. 29 Community Event

Philadelphia, Nov. 19 -- Dinosaurs? Castle turrets? Ropes and tunnels? You don't know what children will imagine when asked to envision their ideal playground. Mount Airy schoolchildren will be doing just that in Design Day at Henry Houston Elementary School on Thursday, November 29, 2001. Next spring, their parents, other Mt. Airy residents and business people, all volunteers, will construct the new playground on the grounds of Houston School.

The Playground-Raising Project, a volunteer nonprofit organization of parents and Mt. Airy residents who are involved in planning the community-built playground outside the Houston School, will bring together schoolchildren with playground designers John Dean and Dan Schumann from Leathers and Associates of Ithaca, NY The Leathers group has been involved in more than 1,500 community-built playgrounds, including the Children's Park in Chestnut Hill, erected in 1997.

The designers will meet with children from Houston and other neighborhood schools from 9:15 to 11 a.m. in Houston classrooms. At that time, the children will share their ideas and visions for the playground to be erected outside the school. The playground designers will incorporate the children's ideas into preliminary drawings at the school, in a location open to the children. They will then consult further with Project volunteers and produce preliminary design plans. Those designs will be unveiled that evening at an open community event at Houston School, starting at 7 p.m.

The community event will kick off an organizing campaign for the Playground-Raising Project that will culminate with construction of the playground in June, 2002, by hundreds of community volunteers. The finished playground will be open to children in the surrounding community as well as to children at Henry Houston School.

Reporters are invited to cover the planning sessions with children in classrooms from 9 to 11 a.m., the initial sketching in the school cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the evening meeting at 7 p.m. Please contact one of the Playground-Raising Project general coordinators at the above numbers for more information.

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