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Students get grant to help bring back playground

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 14, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.

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Money won't be an issue for a high school civics class trying to bring a playground back to the Perk Hill Coffee House.

The nonprofit that owns and produces the annual Colorado Garden and Home Show is giving the students a $10,000 grant to get the project off the ground.

"We love the idea that we do the show and it avails our opportunities to provide these horticulture scholarships and grants," said Jim Fricke, executive director of Colorado Garden Show Inc.

The grant is contingent on the city of Denver making it possible for the popular playground to be re-installed, Fricke said.

"If we take money out as an issue, then the kids can still continue to do their civic duty to try to make it happen, and the city of Denver can take a look at it and not have to worry about the financial aspects," he said.

The playground, a neighborhood magnet, was removed in October after coffee shop owner Darren Spreeuw was ordered to take it down it for safety reasons.A deal to bring the playground back had been worked out, but then fell through.

East High School teacher and Park Hill resident Celeste Archer, whose 5-year-old son was a regular at the playground, said she saw the dispute as an opportunity to teach her students about justice and civic participation.

Monday night, some of her students attended the Denver City Council meeting and lobbied for what they believe is a solution: a "micro park" that will be maintained by a neighborhood cooperative.

Fricke said he read about the students' efforts in Tuesday's Rocky Mountain News and e-mailed the story to his board.

"It's about East High School kids. It's about a park. It's a Denver neighborhood. It's basically everything that we do," he said, adding that the nonprofit awards $500,000 in horticulture-related scholarships and grants annually.

Ann Williams, a spokeswoman for the city's Public Works Department, said the next step is an "initial discussion" to brainstorm options for the site on East 22nd Avenue and Kearney Street.

"Councilwoman (Marcia) Johnson is kind enough to sponsor this meeting and really start the ball rolling," Williams said in an e-mail.