The front gate of the Takena Elementary School grounds was no longer locked Saturday night.
It’s been a long tradition in Albany schools that the grounds be open to the public when classes are not in session, like during the summer. Lately at least two school yards were locked down tight instead, but now the district says they’ll be open again.
I noticed last week that two historic markers on the grounds of Central School were still inaccessible behind the school’s Ninth Avenue fence and locked gate on the north side. The other gate, on the west side, was locked too.
A sign said the Ninth Avenue gate was locked because of construction, but construction of the new playground was completed long ago.
I sent a question about this to the school district and got a reply on Friday from Michelle Steinhebel, the communications director and public information officer for the Greater Albany Public Schools.
“It is the district’s intention to have all playgrounds open to families year round, however, sometimes we have to lock gates to the playgrounds for a short time due to vandalism or after-hours safety issues.” she wrote in an email.
“Although I’m not sure the exact reason the gate at Central Elementary was locked, we have a gate unlocked now so it is again accessible. Additionally, an email went out to custodial staff yesterday to remind them to keep one gate open at each of the school playgrounds and the stadiums.”
Over the weekend I found both gates at Central still locked. But at Talena Elementary, the front gate, previously locked, was open again.
Access to playgrounds and basketball hoops may be helpful to families living near schools like Central that are some distance from public parks.
At Central, two boulders on the grounds are believed to be mementoes left by the classes of 1888 and 1900 at Albany College, which once sat where the school is now.
Central’s playground gates were still locked Saturday.
It is my understanding that those boulders “are” mementoes from those 1888 and 1900 classes at Albany College.
Thanks Hasso, My good dog Carl and I would never have been able to get in and seen where the 00 stone had lain if the yard had been locked up. We did and informed Principal Jay Thompson of its loss and Jay got it back as you reported in your earlier story. The Albany Collegiate Institute building sat beside Central and the walk to the front door can still be made out between the two stones. And thanks for pointing out that Central field is the only real park space in our neighborhood. I continue to get questions as to why we can’t get in and use it. I’m told they are expanding and improving Centra’s lunch room in the basement and should be done this week or next. Maybe thats the construction they are talking about. I personally have a lot of sweet memories of my kids, dogs and neighbors and me playing on Central field.
It is good to know that the playgrounds are supposed to be open but I can tell you that South shore Elementary has been locked up tight for years. This summer they are doing construction so it has been open and it has been great to have access. There are no parks in this island between Santiam, Pacific, Waverly and I-5 so I will be most grateful for all of the kids in our neighborhood to have a place to run and play other than the streets.