Volunteers are working to restore their childhood dream.
The Oakland Playground in Stonycreek Township is another blighted property around Johnstown, but folks in the neighborhood want to change that.
The tennis court has weeds growing, the basketball court backboards are rusted, and some of the original equipment like the swings and slide are still in place 50 years later.
They are working to replace those and add in a walking trail.
The playground is located at the former Oakland Elementary School. The school was destroyed by a fire in the 1970s. The playground honors a former teacher of the old elementary school, Verna K. Blough. Blough is now 97-years-old.
“It was allowed to deteriorate into such a deplorable condition and we thought if somebody is going to have their name attached to something then it should probably honor them,” says project coordinator Lisa Rager.
Organizers hope that it provides a safe place for kids to play and restores pride in the community. It will cost $200,000 to make the proper updates. They want to have it completed by next spring.
