Playground progress promising on day 1

By Abe Winter

Tuesday, October 21, 2003 10:30 AM CDT

RACINE - A lot will happen between now and Sunday's grand opening of the North Beach Playground.

But if Monday's kickoff is an indication, it should be a memorable

occasion.

No, it's not football on the beach; rather, it's the start of a hectic week of work by volunteers. It got off to a slow start Monday and co-chairman Steve Smiley was having difficulty finding things for some of the volunteers to do.

That won't be the case the rest of the week.

"Keep coming and have fun," is the message to volunteers from Smiley, who has taken a week's vacation from In-Sink-Erator of Racine. "We need you, so please come, meet your neighbor and have fun.

"We need volunteers who can do anything, especially during the week. I'll guarantee them a good time with beautiful weather."

That certainly was the case Monday as workers enjoyed the warmth that was accompanied by a cooling breeze off Lake Michigan.

As part of Make a Difference Day, the biggest group of volunteers will converge on the site Saturday to put the finishing touches on the week of work that capped months of planning and countless volunteer hours.

Cory Rosen, 43, took a vacation day to help out Monday. She also may return Friday.

"I'm digging holes," she said as she joined most of the volunteers for lunch break. "I don't know what he'll put me on next shift."

Rosen and her husband, George, are planning on their children - Jennifer, 15; Emily, 6, and George Jr., 5 - spending a lot of time at the playground, The Caledonia residents, owners of Racine Auto Specialists, have taken their children to Kids Connection in Franklin, which was a similar project.

"I wanted to be involved in the Kids Connection, but I never was able to get there, so I really wanted to help at North Beach," Cory Rosen said.

Likewise for Jim Proctor, 46, an airline mechanic who works third shift for Northwest Airlines. He lives near North Beach and also has three children who will take advantage of the new playground.

"I'm here today, but I've also got next Friday off, so I'll maybe stop by Saturday to help," Proctor said.

Justin Denneau, 19, was an early riser Monday. With most of the volunteers asked to report at noon, Denneau was there before 7 a.m., helping set up storage areas, tents, tables and chairs.

"I'll be here almost every day this week," said Denneau, who works at Roma Lodge.

He's impressed by the project.

"It'll be nice to see, when I'm older, to show my kids or drive by and say I helped build it," Denneau said. "It's going to be great for the kids along with all the other things they've done lately to clean up Racine."

John Yazek, 71, of Franksville is one of about a dozen construction captains at the site. Another captain, Journal Times Editor Randolph Brandt, inserted a pole into the ground and raised the American flag on the north side of the project.

Yazek's expertise after helping with the Kids Connection project figures to come in handy.

"In the summertime, hundreds of kids go there. I think is going to be great, too," said Yazek, who spent 22 years in the Navy and then 20 as a manager of the Hardee's Restaurant at the intersection of highways 20 and 31 in Racine.

Melissa Johnson, 20, is home during fall break from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

"I volunteered to help with the food tent because it would be dangerous to put me around power tools," said the junior who is majoring in pre-med. "I read about it during the summer and my Dad called and said it was being built during fall break, so I said `sign me up.' " The daughter of Steve and Kathy Johnson is figuring on spending two days at the project.

"I think it's really great," Johnson said. "It'll be great for the community."

Workers on Monday were digging holes for 450 posts cutting lumber, painting fish and mermaids, serving food, helping with registration of volunteers, driving heavy equipment and, as Smiley said, "Having fun."

"I'm extremely passionate about this project," he said. "It's not just about building a playground. It's meeting your neighbor and making a difference in your community.

"That's what it's all about."

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