Advocates hope to create structure more friendly to disabled children
By Natalie Dupuis, Correspondent, The Times
Advocates hope to replace this aging play structure at East Ward Elementary School with one better suited for the play needs of disabled children, but will need approval from the Downingtown Area School District and find the nearly $200,000 the project is expected to cost.
A familiar Downingtown landmark may be replaced within a year. The playground at East Ward Elementary School that can be seen from Washington Avenue is known for its castles and bridges. But after 22 years of use by the community, the playground is falling into disrepair.
Kris Buchheit and Patty Dungan, co-presidents of the East Ward Elementary Home and School Association, presented their new playground plans to the Borough Council at Wednesday night’s meeting.
The goal of the new playground is to increase the usage by students who have learning disabilities or handicaps, rather than giving splinters to the students.
“The school has a multiple disability classroom for children with different diagnoses” said Buchheit,”and there are things on this playground that are perfect for these kids.”
In light of recent tragedies at schools around the country and the increasing awareness of bullying situations, security on this playground is a priority for the school. Nicholast Argonish, the principal of East Ward Elementary School, was also at the meeting.
“From the perspective of the principal, you can see all of the children that are playing when they’re playing,” said Argonish. “There have been, over the years, some issues on the playground [after school hours] where things have happened because they have happened undetected.”
The new playground will feature structures by KOMPAN, an international playground supplier. The project will cost around $200,000 to install, so the Home and School Association is looking for financial support from the borough. The proposal has not yet been presented to the Downingtown Area School Board, which caused the Borough Council to decline to pledge anything to the installation process at this time.
In other borough news, parking continues to be an issue for residents who live downtown. With the addition of new bars like Molly Maguire’s Pub on Washington Avenue and Stella Rossa Ristorante, residents do not have guaranteed parking spaces close to their homes. And in many cases, they may have to pay for parking by the hour or the day depending on where they can find a spot to leave their car.
Council President Anthony Gazzerro addressed the residents in the meeting on Wednesday by saying they are creating at least 15 new spaces as soon as possible. In addition, Molly Maguire’s Pub is in the process of building spaces specifically for its patrons. The council is working on a temporary solution to help residents who are displaced by the high number of customers, but no real decision was made.
The annual Downingtown Ghost Walk is taking place this Saturday and Sunday. Tensions ran high at the end of Wednesday’s meeting as Tricia Todd, head of the Historical and Parks Commission, asked for guidance regarding the involvement of minors in the event. There is some concern over having a minor in costume while interacting with patrons, so the Chief of Police has created a waiver for any minor to sign if they are involved.
This conversation, however, made sparks fly between council members and created a palpable frustration in the room from all involved in the discussion. It made for an edgy ending to the council’s last meeting before the upcoming election.
