The kids, parents and teachers are nowhere in sight, but things are hopping this summer at Thornhill School. Over the past month or so, the paved school yard was completely dug up to reveal the dirt underneath. We wondered what would happen next.
Today a full battalion of earth movers, pavers, pumpers and all kinds of other equipment arrived on site. As lay-people, we were left gawking at these heavy duty machines but couldn’t make heads or tails of the proceedings. What the heck is a soil stabilization unit?
Fortunately, I ran into a well-informed construction worker outside the school yard fences who was supervising things a bit. He seemed pretty enthusiastic, and shared a few details about re-surfacing the whole yard.
They won’t pour regular wet concrete over Mother Earth, which was standard procedure years ago. Instead, dirt and dry concrete will be mixed together and delivered to the ground. Then this mix gets transformed into real concrete.
We’re sure things will start shaping up in the next day or two, if you or your kids want to see the work underway. It’s surprising, but this new school yard should be completed well before everyone returns next month.
Today in Montclair, 94611 
…and meanwhile, Montclair Elementary School’s playground is literally crumbling beneath our children’s feet. It should have been resurfaced 10 years ago… They don’t even bother repainting the playground stripes any longer. There are injuries every school year because the surface, in may places, is gravelly and causes bloody falls.
[Click and see photos with surface problems: here and also here.]
The surface is so poor that OUSD had to put new surface down when they brought the portables in this week. Of course, they only put new surfacing under the portables – a double insult to our children.
Then the graffiti – just a few examples here. The pictures include graffiti that has been around for more than 5 years.
[Click and see photos showing graffiti on: stairs, backboard, water fountain and portable classroom.]
Oh, and the crumbling retaining wall – which grows a forest of weeds every summer. And the fence around the school large parts of the school is completely rusted.
[Click and see photo showing: retaining wall.]
And note the basketball courts – they only resurfaced a 3rd of the courts – leaving the rest of the area to rot. (Not really visible here, but you’ll see if you go there.)
[Click and see photo with: court.]
I’m very surprised that all of you who frequent the village, or at least take advantage of the parking right around the school don’t complain about these things.