Kevin BeesePioneer Press
Laidlaw School fifth-graders haven't even gotten to winter break and they are already thinking about summer — and summer construction.
A group of Laidlaw fifth-graders spent a recent lunch hour giving Western Springs Park District officials their thoughts on the new playground equipment planned for next summer in the park across the street from their school.
While in favor of most of the playground design elements shown by park district representatives, the fifth-graders had some suggestions for improvement, including making the planned zip line a double unit instead of a single one to shorten the wait to use it. They also suggested adding a fireman's pole, hamster wheel and Ubo swing, which is a swing able to hold four individuals.
Laidlaw student Charlie Vlk said reviewing the proposed playground was an all-school effort.
"We focused on trying to get feedback from not just us, but the whole school," Vlk said. "We did that by having two or three students go to a classroom and explain the park and how we were going to get their feedback. We were able to get each class to give a few suggestions and what they liked about it."
John Robinson, park district executive director, and park board member Nicole Chen were on hand to hear students' suggestions and questions.
"We thought it a good idea to get the school involved. It is right next door," Robinson said.
Laidlaw is one of the two park district playgrounds that will be redone this summer. The other is in Spring Rock Park.
"Both (playgrounds) are in need of repairs because they have been around for a long time," Robinson told the students. "Typically, you get about 11 or 12 years out of a (playground), with the slides and the swings and merry-go-rounds and all the other apparatuses."
He said the existing Laidlaw playground equipment has been in place since 2005.
"One reason we like to redo the parks every 11 or 12 years is for safety," Robinson said. "A lot of times the equipment you put in one year, in 10 or 12 years the safety standards change."
One of students' big questions was what color the park equipment would be, not for their own enjoyment but to support a neighborhood family. Patrick McNaughton, a 2-year-old who played at Laidlaw Park, died recently. As Patrick's favorite color was green, students hoped that the equipment could be green in tribute to him.
"(The students) asked me to reach out to the McNaughton family and find out what Patrick's favorite color was," Laidlaw principal Erin DeBartolo said.
Robinson said the equipment will be green and that a plaque in tribute to Patrick will be placed on a piece of playground equipment, possibly the train.
Robinson said he and Chen would take the students' suggestions back to the park board for consideration.
Fifth-graders who met with Robinson and Chen were Kayla Lovelace, Declan Kracker, Michael Avakian, Hagan Flanagan, Nathan Keese, Sydney Morgan, Lauren Bohringer, Molly Zagroba, Clare Lohnes, Mya Campbell and Vlk.
Kevin Beese is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/western-springs/news/ct-dws-laidlaw-playground-tl-1215-20161209-story.html