By Rich Heldenfels

The corner of Edison and Long streets in Akron embodies what many would imagine as urban decay and despair.

One corner has an overgrown vacant lot; opposite is an abandoned house, its doorway and more than one window open, a “Keep Out” sign meaningless. Another home remains boarded after a fire, and litter is scattered along the sidewalks and in unmowed grass and weeds filling the devil strip.

Most days you would think this is a place without hope. But Saturday was not most days. Maybe because of that, there will be better days ahead.

Saturday, unused land owned by the adjacent Miller Avenue United Church of Christ was filled with people, sounds from drills and hammers, labored breathing as concrete was stirred and mulch spread — and bright colors.

Some came from the new hopscotch patterns being painted on the sidewalks.

Far more came from the playground going up on the lot.

The Miller Avenue church is one of three local beneficiaries of KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit helping to put playgrounds within walking distance of every child, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which provided $1.5 million to help fund nine playgrounds in Akron, Miami and Detroit.

Scenes similar to that by the Miller Avenue church were playing out Saturday at Celebration Church on Dan Street and in Cascade Village, a mixed-income community on East North Street.

The Miller playground — one of more than 2,100 nationwide that KaBOOM! has helped build — takes up about 2,500 square feet, with picnic tables in a shaded area and benches. Asked whether the church could have done this without outside help, Pastor Tom Gerstenlauer said, “Not on this scale.”

Before the new playground, neighborhood children had only a smaller play area behind the church, and so would seek amusement in the abandoned houses and vacant lots, Gerstenlauer said.

“They come here for Vacation Bible school, but that’s one week,” he said. “They come here for the summer lunch, but that’s only 11 weeks.”

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