Evening star., 1947-06-18
Playground Funds
Far Behind Bids
For improvements

last night reported TO It's annual
public budget meeting that current
appropriations for playground Inn
provement we're not enough to meet
the bids contractors are presenting
Consequently. the board told SO
citizens at the meeting, District
citizens will have to expect the
money to do less In the way OF
improvements than was planned.
A case In point. the board re-
vealed, was the opening OF bids
yesterday afternoon on two projects,
the Happy Hollow Playground near
Florida avenue and Champlain
street NV. and the Kalorama Park
Playground at Nineteenth street and
Columbia road NV.
There were no bids on the first
project, although II firms had been
invited to bid. On the second, the
Vinton Construction Co. of Silver
Spring was low bidder with $4,000,
substantial amount more than the
board was given to spend on. both
projects.
Hopes to Reduce Cost.
Harry S. Wender, president OF the
board, said he hoped to shave the
project down to where a partial job
Of improvement could be under
taken. .
On the other side Of the ledger
the board had this to announce:
/. For the first time In its his
tory, the board will open It's sum-
mer Fairgrounds tomorrow, the
first day after schools close. Some
140 areas are to be used in the
summer schedule.
2. After years Of being unable to
get new equipment on school play
grounds for summer use, the board
will be able to put in new equip
ment this summer on AZ school
grounds. The schools are: The
Stoddert, Janey, Murch, Corcoran,
Grant, Paul, Keene, Rudolph,
Truesdell, Barnard. Shepherd, Bur-
roughs, Cooke, Noyes, Bancroft,
Bunker Hill, Hayes, Stuart, Benning,
Kingsman, Wheatley, Peabody.
Davis, Eastern, Thomson, Randle
Shaw, Cook, Montgom-
cry, Stevens, Young, Smothers, Mer-
ritt, Carver, BurrvilIe, Payne, Crum-
nell, Lovejoy. Lucy Slowe, Turner,
Syphax and Van Ness.
Equipment Ordered.
Equipment now on order includes
jungle gyms, slides, seesaws, swings,
parallel bars, horizontal ladders,
chinning bars, goal his, basket ball
backstops, softball backstops and
sand boxes.
No school will get all these things,
but some will get most. They are
being bought with a special SIS, 900
appropriation Congress authorized
for the current fiscal year and are
being installed under an agreement
with the Board of Education.
Civic representatives pleaded for
improvement of recreation centers
in their areas. Testimony was tax
en- to assist the board in framing
Its 1949 budget estimates which go
before the Commissioners early this
fall.
A high point in the meeting came
when is members Of the Hilltop
Recreation Council, an unusual
number to show up for such meet
ings, begged the board to consider
improvements to the Hillcrest Rec
reation Center.
willing to Raise Cash.
Mrs. Helen M. Lessig, their presi-
dent, said the Hilltop section is one
of the fastest growing in town and
that police attribute 95 per cent of
the crime there to juvenile delin-
quency.
A gymnasium. auditorium, night
lighted sports facilities and other
improvements are needed, she said.
The group indicated they are pre-
pared to raise cash and make an
effort to get the things they want
If they get some help from the board.
Another group which showed de-
termination was one OF colored
veterans living in emergency hous-
ing on Camp Sims, the District
National Guards old training ground
in the far southeastern section of
the District.
Would Build Fieldhouse.
Led by Walter M. Harris, who
served in the 764th Chemical Depot
Company, and Bertram H. Anderson,
formerly with the 3317th Replace
ment Division. they said most of
their number were skilled workmen
and would gladly build a fieldhouse
and even get the lumber for 1t If the
board would do its part in clearing
and grading play area there.
At one point the meeting was
interrupted by representatives of
the United Public Workers of Amer
lea, CIO; the Committee on Racial
Democracy, and the Southern Con-