El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-24
FAIRGROUNDS
GIVEN $4,000
School Board Elects Sim
mons President and DR..
Picket Secretary.


The board of trustees of the FL Paso
schools has gone on record as favor
ing the development of a system OF
Fairgrounds and recreation centers. AT
WEDNESDAY nights meeting. an appfo-
priation of $4,000 was authorized as
one-third the estimated amount neces-
sary to establish and operate the sys-
TEN for the first year and a committee
was appointed to confer with the city
council The board also elected Frank
3. simmons president and DR.. }. A.
Pickett, secretary.
The matter was brought to the at
tention Of the board when a sub com
mittee OF the Fairgrounds committee OF
the chamber Of commerce, headed Dy
R F. Burgess, appeared at the netting
Mr.. Burgess, as spokesman, outlined the
work that the chamber of commerce IS
doing in furthering the playground
movement
He told of the survey that had been
made, resulting in the finding that the
parks and school grounds already IN
existence can be used in the develop
ment OF the system, and that in adul-
ton several public spirited citizens
had offered the use of vacant ground
adjacent to the schools. He told OF
the hearty cooperation offered by the
city council, its Willingness to turn
over certain parts Of the public parks
for uses as Fairgrounds and recreation
centers, and to bear part Of the expense
of development and maintenance Of the
system.
Settle Goes Into Details.
7. S. Settle, field secretary Of the
Playground and Recreation Association
of America, went more into detail He
stated that the survey showed that
nearly all the facilities needed at the
present time are under the control OF
the school board, and he suggested
that the board assume control Of the
nTOnnGRd = 10 IDdL
supervisors would be necessary at
every playground to properly con-
troll the children, and that these
supervisors should be appointed ana
! controlled by the board. The plan Tor
/ the coming year, he stated, contem-
plates the use Of the Fairgrounds OF
the various schools during the schooI
| year, the operation of II playgrounos
| during the summer, so that each chliu
] in the city would be within a hair
! mile Of a playground: the use of Wash
| ington park, Houston park and Mundy
park for baseball and other sports; so
cial center activities in at least Two
schools, one in the north and the other
I in the south side of the city; and final
| " any activities that might be ere
ated through the cooperation of musl-
] cal and literary clubs of the city
Make $4,000 Appropriation.
A discussion followed between mem
bers of the board and the visiting COM
mlttee, IN Wnlcn II was Drought gu I
J that the cost of the development and
operation of the system for the first
year was estimated at $4,000. It was
asked that the board contribute
and assume supervision over the
! system on motion of Claiborne Ad-
( ans it was decided to appropriate
/ $4,000. conditioned on the city approp-
| priating $4,000. the fund to be spent
/ and vouchers signed by the board
A committee composed of trustees X.
/ L Holiday. Claiborne Adams and r.
J. Tighe was appointed to confer with
| the city council
| simmons Elected President.
! The meeting of trustees was called
! to order by Claiborne Adams, vice
| president The business taken up was
! the election of a president and secre-
! tary to fill the vacancies caused by
| the resignation of J. E. Morgan and
! G. L. Fisher. Frank B. Simmons was
unanimously elected president and Dr.
I J. A. Pickett, secretary.
A communication from the Elliott
| Engineering company, recommending
1 that the heating system of the Lamar
! school be improved by the covering OF