Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-02
Council Bluffs
PLANS iuR CHltDiENS PLAY
Miss Julia Officer Will Submit Them
to School Board Tonight.
WOULD USE OLD SCHOOL TRACT
Proposes 60 Grade Crest OF MN and
Prepare Fine Field Almost In
Heart OF the city for
Youth.

In furtherance OF her purpose Of secur-
ing public Fairgrounds and thus earning
the gratitude Of future generations, Miss
Julia officer has had plans drawn which
are applicable to the three-and- half acre
tract OF ground on which stood the old
high school building. IL has been the dear
est wish OF Miss officer that she might
accomplish something tangible and per-
mRnent for the welfare of the children OF
the city-somethlng that would involve inn
provement Of environment in association OF
| children with children, safer than the
streets and more desirable than the vacant
lot where Mickey reigns supreme by the
prowess OF fists or in the inclosed private
grounds which must be invaded by stealth
and vacated by flight when the shout OF
the angry owner 10 heard. Mics officer
has made no proposition to the school
board, but contemplates doing 20 tonight.
She expects opposition and perhaps a curt
/ refusal of her request for the use OF the
long idle grounds. and must rely upon an
| awakened public sentiment to secure any
/ thing more than polite and patient hear
ing.
Tract Long Idle.
The tract desired has lain idle for more
than a dozen years 1t originally comprised
more than seven acres, but several years
ago the board decided to plat and sell that
portiOno Il Il wing on Glen avenue. The lots
laid we'll and had a fine street frontage
| The board had them appraised and the
appraisers fixed prices that the most op-
timistio member Of the board considered
too high, but when the first batch OF bids
came in several were higher than the fixed
price. All OF the building lots were imme-
diately snapped up as great bargains, but
the remainder of the tract crowned hill
seventy-fivs feet above the street level,
surmountod by a condemned high school
building that cost 10000 TO build in 1870.
The board tried earnestly to sell the old
building and the plat Of ground and the
best bid for II all WAS less than 5000. The
building was subsequently torn down and
the material used in the construction OF
the Avenue r building. The tract is ad-
mittedly Of no value for building purposes
until graded down and the estimated cost
has made It prohibitory,
Would Grade Down Hin.
The plans Miss officer has perfected
contemplate a reduction Of the crest of the
! hill to a considerable extent, the construc-
ton of a twelve-foot wall on the east side
lot line and bringing the entire tract to q
level surface. The central part of 1t, accord.
, ing to the plans By City Engineer Etnyre
will be used for a stadium 4S4 feet Iona
extending north and south and ga feel
: wide, surrounded on the north oval by a
, cement walk ten feet wide. Back of this
and facing the stadium is a grandstant
forty feet deep. Partly in the rear OF
the grandstand and extending along the
west side of tho tract the plans show a
tennis court 52x32O. The plans show sew,
eral entrances and exits and sixteen
foot alley on the south side.
WIN submit Plans.
( Miss Officer will submit her plans to tn,
! Board Of Education at the regular meetinl
tonight and fully explain her purpose Hei
4 idea 10 TO make this the playground fo
q the high school, as we'll as a public play
ground for children. II she is successful
{ in this she hopes TO find means Of over
q coming the nlggardlinsss Of the old-tim
s school boards that were responsible 10
) planting so many Of the school building
y upon land just about sufficient for tn
y foundations. She hopes that at least
: start may be made in the effort to. secur
playground room for number Of tn
. centrally located schools.
/ As a public playground for children ant
{ an athletic and amusement park the ol,
n high school site Is ideal and it's owner
8 ship Is not to be disturbed BY Miss officer
i plans. Base ball, foot ball and simils
n games would have a brilliant setting
/ located almost IN the heart OF the cit
J and yet remote enough from the bushes
e and residence houses TO avoid annoyance
I, Miss OFFICER mas NOT disclosed all ne
Il plans in relation TO the high school grounds
> but It is certain that they are practics
n and possible and VIII no doubt be hearth
= approved by the public when more fun
r explained at the meeting OF the board "a
e night, many OF whose members are i
hearty sympathy with her