Project Idlewild

Project Idlewild
The Star Democrat, November 13, 2006
Provided courtesy of Chesapeake Publishing

Easton residents Megan Cook, Heather Darby and Jill Judd are leading "Project Idlewild," an effort to bring a safer, more accessible playground to Idlewild Park. The women hope to launch the project after a volunteer recruitment meeting Thursday night.

Cook, Dar Darby and Judd began planning for Project Idlewild in May. Their first priority was simply to create a safe place for children. As mothers of young children - all together they have eight kids under 6 years old - they were worried about Idlewild's current playground.

"A lot of people don't realize how bad it is," Judd said, citing rusting metal and broken equipment.

Aside from safe safety considerations, the women wanted to create a playground with better handicap accessibility and a design unique to Easton. They started doing research and discovered Leathers and Associates, an Ithaca, N.Y.-based company that specializes in custom designed, community-built playgrounds.

The new pl playground at Idlewild could feature a nautical theme with a kid-sized sailboat and models of the Maryland blue crab, or perhaps a miniature version of the Easton courthouse - Leathers and Associates bases playground designs on interviews with children and parents and research into the community's history and culture.

After a design is s sketched out, the company provides a suggestedbudget and building supply list. When the time comes to construct the playground, Leathers and Associates sends skilled laborers to aid community volunteers in a five-day build.

Cook, Dar Darby and Judd estimate they will need to raise about $200,000 to construct the playground. Rather than setting up a nonprofit organization, the women have a fundraising arrangement with the Town of Easton.

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