Clark ES field

[from Alicia Rucker, MPD Community Outreach]

Hello Everyone,

I was contacted yesterday by a coach at Clark Elementary school who said he has been hitting a blank wall trying to get the sports field behind the school in order for the kids to be able to play safely. The field has a soccer area with no nets, a T ball area that needs to be marked off and a football area that needs to be cleaned. With the budget problems in the DCPS he has not been getting any help. I am asking anyone that can help to please adopt this school and help out in this matter. We need to keep our young kids off the streets and in a safe enviroment. I plan to set up a meeting with the coach and principal next week to see how we can get this done. Anyone who is interested in helping please give me a call.

Thank You
Alicia Rucker
MPD Community Outreach
801 Shepherd Street NW
(202) 576-7285 office
(202) 439-5474

Comments

[carol herwig]

Ms. Rucker, A. Fenty, other interested parties --

No. 1... DCPS needs to commit to maintenance. Greg Williams is gone, a new person is on board. Let's get some momentum.

No. 2. Let's ask DC United for help with preparing the field. The basic needs are probably 2-3 truckloads of leafgro or something similar to spread. Then grass seed under straw and a commitment to watering... If the school system won't commit to watering, we might as well go to carpet city and lay carpet. We can prepare a budget. I don't think we need to dig up and lay down new sod. It's more a matter of raking it out, cleaning out the broken glass, leveling the field, feeding the soil (leafgro) and seeding it. Then we need nets and portable (breakaway) bases, plus other equipment.

United's season just began, this is a big hispanic soccer neighborhood. Philip Anschutz, owner of United, is trying to get everybody to read his Examiner. All reasons to start there.

Then we should prepare a request for planting from Casey Trees. Put some trees around edges for shade and color.

All of this should involve the kids. They should be a part of the planting. The project should be a part of their science curriculum. And in conjunction with their civics curriculum, anti-litter campaigns and recycling efforts could be launched (because there is a lot of child trash there - food wrappers and juice bottles).

Note:
I just spent the weekend planting trees and shrubs and mulching and digging at Roosevelt HS. They received a grant from Lutheran Social Services on Georgia Ave., which has an Earth for Kids program. So it seems like there's money out there and this is a pretty basic project.

Your thoughts? Shall we talk online or meet for half an hour next week?

Carol Herwig

[Adrian Fenty]

[via email to Petworth News]

I will also copy DCPS officials to determine whether this project can be added to the priority list.

AFenty