Bennett School beautification effort begins
BY ALEX DAVIS CHAMPION INTERN
May 5, 2006
The Bennett School, built in 1878, is the oldest school still in use in
Leominster and it's beginning to look its age.
The school's desperate and non-functional grounds have gained the attention
from various community members, parents, and Principal Helen Deranian. The newly
organized Bennett School beautification effort aims to provide the
transformation needed. This project is yet another piece in the effort by the
city to make Leominster more attractive and cleaner for the community.
The motivation to start the project mainly came from parents and the
principal wanting a safer, cleaner, and more up-to-date area for their students
to play and learn.
"We really just wanted to make it more kid-friendly and nicer for the
community. We also wanted to incorporate the more hands-on curriculum being used
by the school," parent and volunteer Wendy Van Voohris said.
Van Voorhis is one of a group of five parents volunteering to run the
project. She currently has one child attending the school and will have another
attending in the future.
After coming up with a concept for the grounds, the group's application to
the Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design for help with the design was
accepted. A group of students from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University
then came up with several different designs for the group to choose from. When
the designs were presented the parents and principal determined which one they
liked best for their children.
Having played ball on the Bennett grounds himself, Peter Dandini of Dandini
landscaping will oversee all landscaping free of charge.
The beautification project will be done in phases, the first of which being
the front of the school. The second phase, fundraising, has recently been
started with a booth at the Johnny Appleseed Festival and an Outback Luncheon.
The success of the project will depend greatly on support from the community and
the group aims to raise most of the money through their various fundraising
events.
To help raise the $200,000 needed for the project, the group will be selling
commemorative bricks that can be bought by community members and businesses from
$30-$250. The bricks will line the pathway around the grounds of the school and
will feature names and business logos engraved on them. The group has also
applied for several grants, including a Community Development Block Grant, which
they have recently been approved for. An ice cream social is also being
organized, which will be held at the Bennett School back field.
Although the total number of phases required to complete the project is yet
to be determined, they will include an effort to enhance the current memorial of
Thomas "TJ" Miller, a former city recreation basketball coach. Benches
will be built along the sidelines of the basketball court to accommodate the
large number of children in the community that use the Bennett School court.
Also planned are new trees and bushes, a new swing-set, flower gardens, and 24
additional parking spots.
The date the beautification project will break ground for construction is
still tentative, but it is set for some time in June. Until that time, the group
will be putting their efforts into fundraising as much as possible.
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