In the Swing of Things

Kids living near Hatboro's  could have new slides to glide down, new bars to monkey around and totters to teeter on by summer 2012.

John Farnen, Hatboro's Elm Street president, said the selection, planning and scheduling of equipment is now underway, with tentative installation by spring or summer 2012.

Farnen, who is also involved with the Kiwanis Club of Hatboro-Horsham, has been for more than five years. Through Kiwanis, Farnen netted $21,000 toward the projected $80,000 cost of playground equipment. The effort received a major boost last week when the Hatboro Borough Authority - the entity formed to manage the $5 million from the sale of Hatboro's water company - agreed to chip in $60,000.

To carry out all of the park upgrades that Farnen envisions would cost roughly $325,000. Some of that additional funding could come from an ongoing personalized paver project. To date, 180 of the 1,800 bricks in the Memorial Walkway, which leads from Springdale Avenue into  parking lot, have been purchased and engraved.

The cost of engraving is $50. For more information on customizing a walkway paver, click here, call Farnen at 215-672-3935, or e-mail him.