ASPHALT AND WEEDS NOW. Curtis LaPierre, the father of a Lafayette Elementary student, was one of the leaders of the effort to rebuild the playground. He recalled looking "at all that asphalt," LaPierre said of the 80,000 square feet of blacktop. "There were no trees and the only plants were weeds growing up through the cracks in the pavement." <b>Photo by Amber Trillo.</b>
Not only did Lafayette Elementary School students enjoy the last day of school, they got to watch the groundbreaking ceremony for a new school playground.
The plan is to scrape away the pavement in the northern end of the playground to plant a grassy field with a path around it. A sprinkler system and drainage will be installed this summer too.
Two half-court basketball hoops are to be put in near the northeast section of the playground alongside a new wall ball court. A new barrier will be built around the glider play area too.
New trees and shrubs will be planted on part of the playground periphery.
Parents and community members raised about $300,000 to replace some of the asphalt that now covers most of the school playground. They joined students, teachers and administrators at the playground June 21 to turn shovels of dirt and symbolically start construction on phase one of a larger construction project to remake the rest of the Lafayette playground.
Curtis LaPierre, the father of a Lafayette student, was one of the leaders of the effort. He recalled five years ago taking his son Julian to the school for his first day of kindergarten.
"I looked at all that asphalt," LaPierre said of the 80,000 square feet of blacktop. "There were no trees and the only plants were weeds growing up through the cracks in the pavement."
He talked to other parents who agreed the playground needed improvement. Soon a playground committee formed and people started soliciting financial contributions from companies, government agencies, Indian tribes and individual people.
LaPierre tried to make a lesson for the students of the effort it took to improve the playground. On the plus side, he pointed out that the playground site is flat and sunny. He told the kids about never giving up even though it took five years to plan the playground and raise enough money to start construction.
"Use what you've got, stay with it, and leave the world a better place," LaPierre told the students.
Entertainment was provided by the Lafayette Traveling Jump Rope Team and Julian LaPierre.
King County Councilman Dow Constantine read off the names of large donors one by one as Lafayette students yelled "thank you" after each one.
