It was a celebration yesterday as the groundbreaking was held for a new playground at the Homer Center Elementary School. The $212,000 project will be a triumph of teamwork, with funding coming from a variety of grants and matching funds contributed by the school district, community, faculty, and students.
The project, spearheaded by teachers Scott Bauer and Katelin Stossel, received an $85,000 matching grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, with a big boost from Homer Center graduate House Majority Leader Dave Reed; a $10,000 combined grant from C.O. Bank and REA Energy; $5,000 from the Bork Foundation; and $5,000 from the Lowe’s Toolbox program. The school district committed $77,000 and students, faculty, and community members raised $30,000.
Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony were (l to r) Denny Bolitho, Amy Moon, Mark Cunningham, Ed Sutter, Jon Longwill, Scott Bauer, Libby Brown (2nd grade), Katie Stossel, Dr. Charles Koren, Vicki Smith, David Bork, Chad Carrick, Mike Bertolino, Chris Graham and Rich Gallo.
Homer Center Superintendent Doctor Charles Koren saluted the spirit of teamwork that made the playground project possible, and School Board President Vickie Smith thanked Bauer and Stossel for getting the project moving.
The new playground will replace one that was built in 1999. Equipment has already begun to arrive. The old playground will be dismantled starting June 5th, and the new equipment is expected to be installed in early July. The playground should be ready to go when students start school in the fall.
