WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1999

Growing futures

By Rory Barnett

On-Line Forty-Niner

Isabel Patterson Child Development Center organizers plan to renovate the children's garden.

Officials hope the garden will help the children learn and grow through interaction and add a more enjoyable environment for everyone.

The renovation of the garden will include: Lowering the fence around the area to make it more child-friendly and making it more sturdy; Redesigning the gate so children can enter and exit easily; Redesigning and building planter boxes, which makes it easier for children to work and plant; Extending the fence around the garden to fill gaps along the street; preparing the soil to plant in and any miscellaneous work necessary.

To start the garden, the ASI Recycling Center donated 50 pounds of rich soil from its new verma-composting project and local nurseries donated plants. The Eagle Scout Project, who oversees the garden's developments allowed candidate Arthur Green to organize 25 campus, community and Scout volunteers to maintain the garden.

"Arthur attended the center when was little and I watched him grow up," Adminstrative Director Pam Macdonald said. "He cares very much about the center and the children who are enrolled in the program. The children's garden is an example of his appreciation for the center."

The Center will be the beneficiary of the garden, which will increase the center's enrollment to its capacity of two hundred and forty-seven children. Program Director Randa Marikos is responsible for how the program is carried out and the enrollment of each child. Marikos designed the programs at the center and the goal of each program is to give full advantage to each child.

"The university is pleased with our programs and the community appreciates the time and energy we give to each child," Randa Marikos said. "Parents donate their time and energy to the program as well, so student volunteers can give some one-on-one attention to children in need. The garden improvements will definetly increase our enrollment and popularity."