Fordham Celebrates Opening of Revitalized School Playground https://t.co/5E0WSWawoB
— StandardsState (@StandardsState) April 17, 2026
Project Details from the Fordham Article
This wasn’t just slapping in some swings — it was a comprehensive green infrastructure + multi-use recreational space upgrade in an urban area with high construction/labor costs.Cost Context in NYC
Public projects like this frequently include soft costs (design, community engagement, fundraising overhead) and aim for durability + multi-purpose use (recess, PE, after-school, neighborhood park). The involvement of Trust for Public Land often adds green/climate-resilient elements that increase upfront cost but provide long-term benefits (e.g., heat island reduction, stormwater management).Was it “extremely high”?It’s toward the higher end for schoolyard revitalizations, and NYC public spending is notoriously expensive overall. Early reports pegged it closer to $2–2.2M, so the final $2.85M reflects scope creep, inflation, or added features during planning. However, there’s no public reporting of controversy, audits, or criticism labeling it as wasteful or overrun in a scandalous way — coverage focused on the positive community impact.
Seems high. Factors like NYC’s high cost of living/labor, bureaucratic layers, and turning a barren lot into a genuine community asset drive it up. Simpler asphalt repairs or basic equipment would cost far less, but this was a full redesign.
The Playground is officially OPEN! #RebelPride 🛝 pic.twitter.com/nkR2ebFqc3
— Dr. Kate Koch (@kwasnykate) October 10, 2023
While the students have been enjoying the playground since school began, it was a celebration getting to recognize everyone who made it happen. Thank you to Play! at Pierce, our donors, Rep. Stava-Murray, and the entire community for all of their efforts! #WEarePD58 #DG58Pride pic.twitter.com/eNZdPmjaI2
— Dr. Leland Wagner (@LWagnerDG58) November 8, 2023
In the soft light of a Notting Hill afternoon in 1958, the playground of a local day nursery becomes something closer to a sanctuary. Rows of small camp beds and folded rugs are neatly arranged beneath the open sky, each one cradling a sleeping child. The air carries the scent of… pic.twitter.com/L6i0HmcMmI
— Dr. M.F. Khan (@Dr_TheHistories) July 23, 2025
A new playground, a new school year, and a new 3R! That’s what I call AMAZING! 🍎🎉🛝#happyfirstdayofschool pic.twitter.com/kRYgn661HY
— Christine Reynolds (@5thgradeplaid) August 25, 2023
Lots of happy kids playing on their new playground today 😊 #fa58share #dg58pride pic.twitter.com/ZWgqfRjH3h
— Ms. Kroll (@MsKroll58) November 7, 2023
ASTM International develops most of the best practice titles for sports and recreation equipment and facilities; among them:
Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Turf Playing Systems as Measured in the Field
Standard Specification for Competition Wrestling Mats
Standard Specification for Athletic Performance Properties of Indoor Sports Floor Systems
Standard Guide for ASTM Standards on Playground Surfacing
Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems under and around Playground
Specification for Playground Surface Impact Testing in a Lab at a Specified Test Height.
Notice the product orientation. ASTM’s business model is built upon conformity and compliance activity, supported by market incumbents such as manufacturer and insurance interests; but — as an ANSI accredited standards developer — it opens its standards-setting process to all stakeholders; including in one of the largest markets for these products.
We are happy to represent any user-interest at any of the ASTM International meetings; assuming our costs are covered. Feel free to contact Sanne Anthony either by email or phone for more information. In the intervening time, we will track action in the ASTM catalog an maintain relevant titles in this product category on several standing agendas — Sports, Kindergarten and Recreation. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Recess is the best with kindergarten friends! #dg58pride pic.twitter.com/04OeE07e62
— Ms. Remus (@MsRemusK58) August 22, 2024
Issue: [18-82]
Category: Daycare, Sport, Kindergarten
More:
Morning Recess = A place of Kindness! pic.twitter.com/Q1KBO8UhqZ
— Amy Alzina, Ed.D (@alzina_amy) April 9, 2025
Posted March 5, 2018
ASTM has released two documents for public review — one a new standard, the other a revision of an existing standard — that should interest K-12 school systems which are stewards of recreational facilities :
REVISION: ASTM F1292-201x, Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment (revision of ANSI/ASTM F1292-2017)
Comments are due April 23rd. You may obtain a free review copy by setting up a (free) stakeholder account at ASTM Technical Committee page or by communicating with Corice Leonard, (610) 832-9744, cleonard@astm.org or accreditation@astm.org. Send comments to Corice (with a copy to psa@ansi.org).
The ASTM International Committee F08 on Sports Equipment, Playing Surfaces, and Facilities also meets again May 21-24th in San Diego. We keep all ASTM documents that affect the revenue and cost structure of the education industry on the standing agenda of our weekly Open Door teleconferences to which everyone is welcomed.
Issue: [18-82]
Category; Athletics & Recreation
Oklahoma Commercial Kitchen Requirements
Ingredients:
1 pound dried split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 ham hock, ham bone, or 1 pound diced ham
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: thyme, parsley, or other herbs for flavor
Instructions:
Prepare the ingredients: Rinse the split peas under cold water and pick out any debris. Chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic.
Sauté aromatic vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add split peas and broth: Add the rinsed split peas to the pot, along with the ham hock, ham bone, or diced ham. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Add bay leaves and any other herbs you’re using.
Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are tender and the soup has thickened, about 1 to 1.5 hours. If using a ham hock or bone, remove it from the soup once the meat is falling off the bone; shred the meat and return it to the pot.
Season to taste: Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Serve: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy hot. Optionally, you can garnish with chopped fresh parsley or a drizzle of olive oil.

Tips:
You can customize the soup by adding other vegetables like potatoes or leeks.
For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Split pea soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add more broth or water when reheating leftovers.
The team helped out today at #bigevent setting up tents for the OKC Arts Festival, way to go girls! #ouet pic.twitter.com/txKztioEt0
— Oklahoma Equestrian (@OUETeam) April 12, 2015
University of Detroit Net Position $367,257 (000) | Strategic Plan 2025-2029

Titans of innovation ✨
The Titan Innovation Fund was introduced to spark innovation at UDM. It supports new, creative ideas that improve the University and student experiences by ensuring that they receive the resources and support needed to survive: https://t.co/tbLwUxkbEb pic.twitter.com/LfqM7Sup1p
— University of Detroit Mercy (@detmercy) January 9, 2025
Detroit (meaning “strait”, a narrow passage of water toward Lac Érié ) was founded in 1701 by French explorer and military officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. This was the first permanent European settlement in what is now Wayne County Southeast Michigan and one of the earliest above tidewater in North America. Before the French arrived, the area was inhabited by Native American tribes (Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, and others). Relations between these tribes and the newcomers from Europe were a mix of alliances, trade, intermarriage, and violence.*
Detroit remained under French control until 1760 (when the British took it during the French and Indian War). Many French families stayed even after that. Detroit still has strong French roots — street names, family surnames, and neighborhoods like Grosse Pointe and Ecorse trace back to those early French settlers. European immigrants to Southeast Michigan — drawn by economic opportunities enabled by the American founding documents (personal responsibility, religious tolerance, limited government, fiscal conservatism) — came in waves for the better part of 150 years.

Canadians across the river (City of Windsor, and much of Southwest Ontario) trace their English origins to Yorkshire, Cumberland, Devon & Cornwall, Highland Scots and all of Ireland. Many Dutch, driven out of New York City, traveled past Detroit and settled in Kent County Western Michigan.
* Deliberately overlooked by Revisionists in the legacy US public school system: ancestral violence among the Native American tribes themselves. Cadillac invited multiple tribes in the Southeast Michigan and Ohio region to settle near Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit for protection against Iroquois invaders from Western New York.
The Detroit Decision and “White Flight”
The Most Drastic Transformation of Any American City
Families Cannot Stand the Gorilla Grip the Democratic Party (Rashida Talib & Shri Thanedar & Debbie Dingell) Has on Southeast Michigan So They Have Fled To The Suburbs
This content is accessible to paid subscribers. To view it please enter your password below or send mike@standardsmichigan.com a request for subscription details.
“Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.”
Standards New York | ♡ Homophily New York ♡
Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulations for Birds (9 CFR Part 3, Subpart G)
@CornellPondCam End of day at Sapsucker Woods … pic.twitter.com/zbE5BMEZlp
— susan dimitrakopoulos (@nightsky333) November 10, 2020
University Policy 1.2: Research Integrity
Cornell University’s status as a land-grant institution, coupled with its location in Ithaca, far from New York’s urban centers, fosters a campus atmosphere of grounded normalcy. As a land-grant university, Cornell emphasizes practical education, research, and outreach, rooted in its mission to serve the public good. This ethos cultivates a community focused on collaboration and accessibility rather than elitism.
Ithaca’s rural setting, surrounded by gorges and rolling hills, creates a tight-knit, insulated environment where students engage deeply with academics and each other without the distractions of a bustling city. The slower pace encourages a balanced lifestyle, with traditions like Slope Day and local eateries fostering camaraderie. The lack of urban pressures allows for a focus on intellectual curiosity and personal connections, while diverse student organizations and cooperative extension programs reinforce a sense of purpose and community, grounding Cornell’s atmosphere in authenticity and approachability.
Climate Psychosis | Other Ways of Knowing Climate Change
We began last year breaking down our coverage of education settlement energy codes and standards into the tranches listed below:
Energy 200: Codes and standards for building premise energy systems. (Electrical, heating and cooling of the building envelope)
Energy 300: Codes and standards that support the energy systems required for information and communication technology
Energy 400: Codes and standards for energy systems between campus buildings. (District energy systems including interdependence with electrical and water supply)
ASHRAE Proposal for a District Cooling Standard
A different “flavor of money” runs through each of these domains and this condition is reflected in best practice discovery and promulgation. Energy 200 is less informed by tax-free (bonded) money than Energy 400 titles.
Some titles cover safety and sustainability in both interior and exterior energy domains so we simply list them below:
ASME A13.1 – 20XX, Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems | Consultation closes 6/20/2023
ASME Boiler Pressure Vessel Code
ASME BPVC Codes & Standards Errata and Notices
ASHRAE International 90.1 — Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
2018 International Green Construction Code® Powered by Standard 189.1-2017
NFPA 855 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems
IEEE Electrical energy technical literature
ASTM Energy & Utilities Overview
Underwriters Laboratories Energy and Utilities
There are other ad hoc and open-source consortia that occupy at least a niche in this domain. All of the fifty United States and the Washington DC-based US Federal Government throw off public consultations routinely and, of course, a great deal of faculty interest lies in research funding.
Please join our daily colloquia using the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ICYMI – here is our 50th anniversary lecture from Professor Helen Thompson on the 1970s energy crises and what we can learn from it, with some great questions from our audience! https://t.co/9XUqc3fx5f pic.twitter.com/zHvqY8HYL1
— Clare College (@ClareCollege) March 9, 2023
More
United States Department of Energy
International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook 2022
International Standardization Organization
Energy and heat transfer engineering in general
Economics of Energy, Volume: 4.9 Article: 48 , James L. Sweeney, Stanford University
Helmholtz and the Conservation of Energy, By Kenneth L. Caneva, MIT Press
NRG Provides Strategic Update and Announces New Capital Allocation Framework at 2023 Investor Day
From our video archive:
Ask me why pic.twitter.com/zQIpuI7vCh
— Grace Stanke (@Grace_Stanke) August 23, 2023
LSU supports U.S. energy security through its renowned Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, one of the nation’s top programs. Established decades ago, it trains engineers in drilling, production, reservoir management, and enhanced oil recovery, supplying skilled talent to the petroleum industry that underpins domestic oil and gas output.
Deep ties to Louisiana’s petroleum sector, including industry partnerships and research via the Center for Energy Studies, enhance production in a state central to Gulf Coast operations. Proximity to Henry Hub—the benchmark pricing point for U.S. natural gas in Erath, Louisiana—amplifies LSU’s role: the university’s expertise aids the stable supply, pricing transparency, and infrastructure that powers LNG exports and national energy reliability.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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