Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-06
Mss OFFICER AIDS SCHOOLS
Donates Valuable Property for Play
Grounds for Children.
TERMS UNDER WHICH GIFT MADE
Land Given IL valued NJ sew
sral Hundred Dollars and Adj
Joins the Third street
site.

dren Of Council Bluffs and has con-
tributed very greatly to awakening an en-
lghtened public sentiment. demanding bet |
ter conditions around the city's public
schools, has developed another plan which
will materially benefit a large number Of
the school children Of the city and add
eventually many times the estimated cost
TO the property value Of the Third Street
school
Miss OFFICER offers to oonate a lot ada
cent to the school grounds lying directly
north. across Eleventh avenue, provided
the voters will at the March election su-
~Tborizs the school board to purchase the
adjoining lots. which will cost $3.50, in
Guiding a servioesble building that can be
used to excellent advantage In increasing
the comfort and happiness Of the little
ones
Within the last few months Miss officer
has expended several hundred dollars for
the amusement OF the children Of the city
In the direction of instructing as we'll as
entertaining them. Her plans for the evo-
luton Of the old high school grounds into
a spacious stadium and athletic park has
proved too expensive for the present, but
her energetic appeals for more room
around the public school buildings has
aroused q favorable interest all over
town.
The new plan OF Miss officer is to have
the Board of Education submit at the
March election the proposition TO purchase
the lots that lie on either side OF the one
she proposes to donate and leave the mat
ter to the voters OF the city. AS the
women can vote at school elections and
as every mother is heartily in favor of
Miss Officers purposes, It is very likely
the proposition will carry. She will pre-
sent to the board a petition bearing the
requisite number Of names asking that
the proposition be submitted to the voters
Miss Officers plan follows:
To the Voters and Property Holders of
the Independent school District Of COun-
Gil Bluffs: SIM other cities and towns are
providing one block of ground to each
school house. for recreation purposes, why
should the voters and men and women
property holders OF the independent school
district Of Council Bluffs rest content with
Echool buildings and no grounds? The only
Rchoo! buildings IN Council Bluffs with a
block Of ground are those OF Twentieth ave
nue., Avenue r, and Thirty-second street,
and the blocks In that vicinity of tne city
are very small, The central schools have
scarcely enough outdoor space upon which
the students can stand A recent visitor
20 Council Bluffs remarked that the only
means Of recreation were stunts on the
fire escape On Third street and Eleventh
avenue, directly opposite the Third street
school, two lots may be purchased for
$3.50. Each lot is 60hxlSO feet. one is
appraised by MCGEE, Cooper & Everest
at SEQ. The other Is a corner lot, has 100
feet OF paving, is supplied with water and
sewer, and has house occupying a small
portion OF IL. renting for SIG per month. |
will donate 20 the independent school dis
lying next to the corner lot OF the same
side worth 500, on condition that the other
two lots not belonging 70 me- are pur,
and house and the present Third street
school grounds are fenced with high open
wire fence, with gates that shall be locked
and closed against all intruders before dusk
each day and all day Sunday. The parents
have ample time at home on Sunday and
after dusk to look after their own children
while on week days the majority OF par
ents scarcely their children of school
Sge from $50 in the morning until O'Clock
in the evening, excepting some at luncheon
improvements 20 he Made.
N II Is also stipulated that these grounds h,
NGraded mp to grade, drained. placed in first
Gass condition, and supplied with proper
aoAaratus for an outdoor gymnasium; that
= the house be raised and necessary i'm
provements in II be made; that the outdoor
gymnasium be ready for use by March Is
1912; that the Council Bluffs school boarc
furnish iantor service for the care of tn,
house and grounds, and competent super
visors during Moons and recess intermis
sions through the school year; and that thu
Young Mems Christian association and tn,
Young Momens Christian association o.
Council Bluffs provide supervisors during
the outdoor available months to direct thu
students at play after the close OF schoo
each day. during Saturday and vacation
periods
This ground is to be known as the Council
Bluffs Third street and Eleventh avenu
free public school outdoor gymnasium, 4
be used by all minors OF council Bluff
schools. This ground Is TO be part o
the Third street school ground but to b
used for recreation and gymnasium pur
poses only by all other students of tn
city as well those of the Third stree
The house can be divided in two part
and used for shelter and rest rooms, on
part for girls and the other for boys. Tn
three lots would measure lS0N2O2lR feet
This extra ground In addition to tn
provide room for basket ball, volley bal
tennis slides swings, teeteTs, wading poe
during extreme warm weather., etc.
No Political Factions.
Neither public schools, gymnasiums no
fairgrounds should be controlled by poliu
6Al factions, but by school boards par
boards and phanthropic societies that ar
governed by the thought only OF the hes
mental. moral and physical development q
the students. The Young Mems Christia
association and the Young Womans Chris
tian association are already organized 10
this work. are interested In athletics an
would no doubt be willing to supervise tn
grounds out OF school hours providing tina
!, - independent school district OF Counc
mine and place the entire grounds in goo
condition for gymnasium use.
My lot to be donated under these cond
lions is lot 9 block A. Park addition 67l5xl
feet, appraised by the aforesaid appraiser
a. 800. l also stipulate that the old hig
school grounds be reserved for the futul
OF the Independent school district OF COunC
Bluffs for the Use OF school house an
public school stadium. according TO n
plan already submitted 20 the school boar
Council Bluffs will some dav be able
secure the necessary funds to make IN
ono Of the most beautiful stadiums
America. great mistake was made
the past I'm selling large portion Of IN
old high school ground fronting on Gle
school ground. Both Of these properti,
we're originally bought bv the early p,
neers Of Council Bluffs for public schoo
and recreation grounds. Chicago fee
sadly the lack Of ground now impossib
20 purchase for Its central public schools.
Central school Not lzi possible.
Extra ground for Council Bluffs centr
public schools Is not an impossblty. On
caEO is planning 10 build six model pla
fireproof public school buildings OF the be
sanitary regulation and each school Or
Vided with a gymnasium, domestic scien
and manual training departments. He
the hands and bodies are 40 be trained