Moms spruce up fence at Ellsworth playground

The trio decided to use a rainbow theme in painting the chain-link fence.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

NORTH JACKSON — Some moms of Ellsworth Elementary School pupils thought the school’s new playground deserved a better-looking fence around it, so they took matters into their own hands — literally.

Laura Gatrell and Amber Brothag spent two days repainting the old chain-link fence around the playground adjacent to the elementary school in the Western Reserve district. They were joined by Kelly Wells on the second day of their labor.

They aren’t quite finished yet, Gatrell said, noting that one section of the fence needs to be repaired before it gets a coat of paint.

“It looked like a prison,” Gatrell said of the fence, noting that the painters decided to take a “rainbow theme” in their approach to painting it.

The parents are very proud of the playground and felt the old fence didn’t do it justice, she said.

Brothag is president of the schools’ PTO and the organization bought the paint and supplies for the job. The moms supplied the labor, and, by the photographic evidence from the scene, looked as though they really got into their work, sporting multiple paint colors on their clothes and themselves.

A rainbow of colors

Gatrell said they used red, orange, green, blue and purple, painting each section of the fence a different color.

The trio went through the proper channels to secure permission for their plan, she said, noting they even got the school board to approve it.

“It really makes it perky,” said Pete Morabito, Ellsworth principal. “We were excited that they took the time.”

He said the three women are “a driving force” behind parental involvement in getting things done for the school.

The new playground was put in last summer, primarily with the assistance of grant funds and a lot of parental labor, he said.

As for the fence?

“It looks great. The kids like it,” Morabito said.

gwin@vindy.com