The Whitmore Playground was a most welcome site as Jesse and I pulled off the interstate, and, for the first time, took a sharp turn onto Southwest Boulevard. The park and all its vibrant colors and unique shapes immediately made us smile. This park (and church) has character, we thought.

Even though I feared I might be a little late for the first interview/meeting, I insisted that Jesse stop so I could take this picture.

I right away sent this as a text to my aunt Carolyn in Chicago and this is what she sent me in return: “Any church with a playground is a church for me! Pray and play!”

There is a lot one could say about the history and future of this playground. In other words, count on many playground posts in the future. For now, allow me to share some initial photos and impressions (click on each image to enlarge them). And let this serve as a reminder that there will be a Whitmore Playground/Community Garden Workday THIS COMING Saturday, November 23, starting at 8:00 am. It’s a good chance to say thank you to those who regularly maintain and beautify the playground, as well as the garden.

The Playground is the former site of Whitmore School

Thanks to the Park Committee for recently painting everything with fresh, bright colors!

Remembering Amy Fretz, daughter of Tom and Becky Fretz. When Amy died at age seven, her family used memorial money to commission this sculpture. It was dedicated June 2, 1991

All my life’s a circle…God bless our bikers and our bikes

And God bless our sculture artists, including Arlie Regier, who sculpted this beauty, called DaVinci’s Dream. Arlie describes this as “a fantasy machine from the past, a huge tractor-like machine to challenge and stimulate the imaginations of children of all ages.” A neighborhood boy thinks this is a firetruck and affectionally calls this the firetruck park.

Watch out for the bees! The “Be Trail” was a Boy Scout project of David Kaufman. These bees remind us to be trustworthy, be loyal, be helpful, be friendly, be courteous, be kind, be obedient, be cheerful, be thrifty, be brave, be clean, and be reverent.