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Friday, August 7, 2009

Events / Green 15,000 Square Feet of Asphalt for the Kids!

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 2:15 PM

Here is what the playground of Vestal Elementary school on 82nd Avenue currently looks like:

c486/1249677480-depave_-_vestal_elementray_before1.jpg

Last summer Vestal teacher Chad Honl got so upset with kids spending recess on a what amounts to a grassless parking lot that he got the school to tear up one patch of pavement and plant grass. This summer, he's got some help. The anti-pavement nonprofit Depave that I profiled a couple weeks ago is heading out to Vestal this weekend to annihilate another 15,000 square feet of pavement. In the picture above, you can see volunteers cutting the pavement into squares with the help of heavy machinery — tomorrow anyone can come and attack the pavement with pickaxes.

I can tell you from personal experience that there are few things as cathartic as getting to manually demolishing a giant swath of asphalt. It's basically every eight-year-old boy's dream come true—getting let loose with a crowbar and told to attack. Plus, they'll have free snacks.

Tomorrow, Saturday August 8th! 9AM-5PM Vestal Elementary, 161 N. 82nd Avenue

 

Comments (9) RSS

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1
WHHHHEEEEEE!!! Back-breaking manual labour is so cathartic and soul cleansing for the creative class. Way to stick it to the proverbial man by working hard for a couple of hours before you retire to drinking your orange mocha-frappacinos and discussing the relative merits of The Atlantic vs Harper's.

But it is good that the kids can play on some sod and grass. I wish I would have had that opportunity. I grew up in the "heartland"; but even the "heartland" has some ghetto to it.
Posted by Graham on August 7, 2009 at 2:25 PM · Report
2
So cutting and ironic, Graham! Complete with latte reference! You might be interested to hear what Lewis Hyde had to say about irony: "Carried over time, it is the voice of the trapped who have come to enjoy their cage."
Posted by Spine on August 7, 2009 at 2:31 PM · Report
3
I've got a sidewalk that needs redoing, c'mon over to my place for a fun, cathartic dream come true!
Posted by D on August 7, 2009 at 2:48 PM · Report
4
Chad Honl (and Vestal) rocks. I've worked at Vestal a little bit and it's clear that Honl's a forward-thinking guy whose students will remember and benefit from his hard work for a long time. Having a "playground" like theirs when the school sits right on 82nd Avenue only adds asphalt insult to paved injury.

If I can get up from my Hamms stupor before noon (bike races and First Friday tonight!), I'll be there in my best thrift store working-class costume, getting callouses on my soft hands. I doubt I'll see Graham's skinny heartland ghetto rump there, though. He's gotta be online, keeping the internet in check.
Posted by Carl on August 7, 2009 at 2:56 PM · Report
5
I think unpaved playgrounds set unrealistic expectations for our childrens' future-- which will mostly consist of a boot stamping on a human face forever.
Posted by Chunty McHutchence on August 7, 2009 at 2:57 PM · Report
6
Spine, Do you know what Sallinger had to say for pretentious blowhards?

"Fuck you"

Posted by Graham on August 7, 2009 at 2:59 PM · Report
7
Who is Sallinger and where did he get such a dirty mouth?
Posted by Carl on August 7, 2009 at 3:47 PM · Report
8
@carl My mistake (stupid fucking typos). I should have said:

Spine, Do you know what Salinger had to say for pretentious blowhards?

"Fuck you"

Posted by Graham on August 7, 2009 at 3:58 PM · Report
9
Instead of planting grass, maybe they could go for silver, gold, or even platinum status here:
http://www.audubonportland.org/backyardwil…
Posted by martin on August 7, 2009 at 4:19 PM · Report

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