THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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| Principal Bill Bradford and groundskeeper Maurice Brown (R) assess the damage |
Half the playground at Sixth District Elementary School was destroyed by fire in the overnight hours of Sunday morning. Neighbors tell The River City News that flames were seen shooting up from the playground in Austinburg around 2:30AM when they were awakened by the sound of fire trucks arriving on the scene.
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Sixth District principal Bill Bradford said that the playground was slated for a renovation in July through the school's partnership with Gateway College which had raised approximately $14,000 to install a new swing set and other amenities. "It was a renovation project, not a reconstruction job," Bradford said Sunday afternoon while inspecting the damage. "That's what makes it more unfortunate. We had a lot to look forward to but now it's going to be a lot more work."
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The park was built several years ago in an effort led by the Center for Great Neighborhoods with assistance from members of the community and Covington Independent Public Schools. Multiple volunteers at the time are sharing their stories of the effort at The River City News Facebook page. Covington Police are still investigating the case Sunday and did not release an official statement though more could be known publicly Monday morning. Even with school being out for the summer, the playground was still an important part of life in the Austinburg neighborhood.
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"We have no playground now, this was the best half," said Serena McIntosh, 9, while looking at the rubble of what used to be a slide. She and her 4-year old sister Caitlyn live in the neighborhood and play at the park often. The playground is also used for the summer program hosted at the school.
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The park was built several years ago in an effort led by the Center for Great Neighborhoods with assistance from members of the community and Covington Independent Public Schools. Multiple volunteers at the time are sharing their stories of the effort at The River City News Facebook page. Covington Police are still investigating the case Sunday and did not release an official statement though more could be known publicly Monday morning. Even with school being out for the summer, the playground was still an important part of life in the Austinburg neighborhood.
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"We have no playground now, this was the best half," said Serena McIntosh, 9, while looking at the rubble of what used to be a slide. She and her 4-year old sister Caitlyn live in the neighborhood and play at the park often. The playground is also used for the summer program hosted at the school.
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"This is a substantial blow to the whole area," Bradford said, adding that the half of the park that was not destroyed would have to be inspected for safety reasons before any of it is reopened. Maurice Brown, the school's groundskeeper, stared in disbelief at the damage. "I'm hurt," he said. "It's just really unbelievable. I spend a lot of time out here and to come and see this is hurtful."
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Bradford is hopeful that insurance will cover most of the cost to replace the damaged equipment while Brown sees an opportunity for more community involvement. "I'm hoping this here will be a reason that the community can get together and do something about it," Brown said. "We'll get to the bottom of this."
"This is a substantial blow to the whole area," Bradford said, adding that the half of the park that was not destroyed would have to be inspected for safety reasons before any of it is reopened. Maurice Brown, the school's groundskeeper, stared in disbelief at the damage. "I'm hurt," he said. "It's just really unbelievable. I spend a lot of time out here and to come and see this is hurtful."
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Bradford is hopeful that insurance will cover most of the cost to replace the damaged equipment while Brown sees an opportunity for more community involvement. "I'm hoping this here will be a reason that the community can get together and do something about it," Brown said. "We'll get to the bottom of this."
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Many more photos of the damage below, just click the link.
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