JOHNSTOWN, Pa. \u2013 For decades, a Stonycreek Township playground carried Oakland schoolteacher Verna Blough\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
But rather than reflect the late educator\u2019s passion for neighborhood youth, the lot sat as a tragic, dilapidated reminder of a 1973 fire that ended Oakland\u2019s school, Marlene Singer said.<\/p>\n
kAm~? $2EFC52J[ 2 3C:89E ‘6C?2 z] q=@F89 !=2J8C@F?5 D:8? H6=4@>65 J@FE9 :?E@ 2 3C2?5 ?6H A2C< \u2013 2 H6==\\ 56D6CG65 EC:3FE6 E92E H:== 36?67:E E@H?D9:A J@FE9 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6[ $:?86C 2?5 76==@H $E@?J4C66< %@H?D9:A !=2J8C@F?5 4@>>:EE66 >6>36CD D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
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New, colorful playground equipment sits alongside Penrod Street on Saturday, October 11, 2025. The Verna K. Blough Park was rededicated with a new courts for pickleball and basketball.<\/p>\n
By David Hurst<\/a><\/p>\n kAm!C@;64E A2CE?6CD 82E96C65 H:E9 =@42= =6256CD 2?5 ~2<=2?5\\2C62 C6D:56?ED $2EFC52J E@ 4FE 2?5 C6565:42E6 E96 2==\\?6H !6?C@5 $EC66E A2C< H:E9 2 C:33@?\\4FEE:?8 46C6>@?J]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm%96 S`_a[___ 4@>>F?:EJ 677@CE 25565 EH@ 4@=@C7F=[ 286\\2AAC@AC:2E6 A=2J D6ED H:E9 D=:56D[ DH:?8D 2?5 4=:>3:?8 2C62D] p =2C86C 32D<6E32== 4@FCE 2?5 2 A:4<=632== 4@FCE 2C6 2=D@ 762EFC65]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmu6?4:?8 2?5 D:E6 H@C< H6C6 2=D@ 4@>A=6E65[ H:E9 4@>>:EE66 >6>36C {:D2 #286C D2J:?8 2 A2G:=:@? \ud83d\ude00 2=D@ \ud83d\ude15 E96 H@C<\/p>\n kAm\u201c$66:?8 E9:D A=2J8C@F?5 E96 H2J :E =@@2?J H@?56C7F= >6>@C:6D]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n Project partners celebrate after re-dedicating the Verna K. Blough Playground on Penrod Street in Stonycreek Township on Saturday, October 11, 2025<\/p>\n By David Hurst<\/a><\/p>\n kAmq=@F89 H@C<65 c_ J62CD 2D 2? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= E62496C[ 96C ?:646D D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm|@DE @7 E92E E:>6 H2D DA6?E 2E ~2<=2?5 D49@@=[ H:E9 #286C 2>@?8 E96 @?6\\E:>6 DEF56?ED H9@ C6>6>36C65 q=@F89 2D 2 4@>A2DD:@?2E6[ 36=@G65 65F42E@C]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm\u201c$96 E@F4965 D@ >2?J DEF56?ED \ud83d\ude15 D@ >2?J H2JD[\u201d #286C D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmq=@F89 5:65 2E E96 286 @7 `_c \ud83d\ude15 }@G6>36C a_aa]k^Am<\/p>\n kAmqFE E9C@F89 E96 ?6H=J C6G:G65 !6?C@5 $EC66E A=2J8C@F?5[ 96C >6>@CJ H:== =:G6 @? 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D[ D2:5 s656 z2K>2:6C[ @7 w@==:52JD3FC8[ ‘6C?2\u2019D ?:646]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm\u201cw6C =:76 ]]] H2D 56G@E65 E@ 65F42E:@? 2?5 49:=5C6?[\u201d z2K>2:6C D2:5] \u201c$96 H@F=5 92G6 366? E9C:==65 H:E9 E9:D]\u201dk^Am<\/p>\n Jody Beegle, of Pittsburgh, and Dede Kazmaier (left) of Hollidaysburg stand alongside a sign dedicating a Penrod Street playground in Stonycreek Township after their aunt Verna K Blough.<\/p>\n By David Hurst<\/a><\/p>\n kAmuF?5:?8 E@H2C5 E96 :>AC@G6>6?ED :?4=F565 E96 r@>>@?H62=E9 @7 !6??DJ=G2?:2 {@42= $92C6 vC2?E[ p>6C:42? #6D4F6 !=2?[ %96 r@>>F?:EJ u@F?52E:@? 7@C E96 p==6896?:6D[ `ggh u@F?52E:@? 2?5 !6@A=6D }2EFC2= v2D r@] \u2013 3FE DE2E6 #6A] y:> #:83J[ #\\u6C?52=6[ 4C65:E65 $E@?J4C66< %@H?D9:A 2?5 :ED A=2J8C@F?5 4@>>:EE66 7@C E96:C 8C2DDC@@ED 677@CED E@ >2<6 E96 A=2J8C@F?5\u2019D C6G:G2= 2 C62=:EJ]k^Am<\/p>\n kAms@?2E:@?D 7C@> 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=D A=2J65 2 <6J C@=6 \ud83d\ude15 E96 677@CE[ #:83J D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n Dede Kazmaier of Hollidaysburg, reads a tribute to her aunt, Verna K. Blough, during the rededication of a Penrod Street playground in Stonycreek Township, Saturday, October 11, 2025.<\/p>\n By David Hurst<\/a><\/p>\n kAm’:3C2?E @FE5@@C C64C62E:@? 2DD6ED 2C6 A2CE @7 H92E 5C2HD A6@A=6 E@ ?6:893@C9@@5D 2?5 96=AD E96> \u201cE9C:G6[\u201d 96 D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm\u201cx =@G6 H92E E96 4@>>F?:EJ \ud83d\ude00 5@:?8 96C6] %9:D \ud83d\ude00 @FC 7FEFC6] %9:D \ud83d\ude00 @FC <:5D[\u201d D2:5 #:83J[ H9@ H@C<65 2=@?8D:56 DE2E6 $6?] (2J?6 {2?86C9@=4 yC] E@ =6?5 DE2E6 DFAA@CE]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm#286C D2:5 E96 ‘6C?2 z] q=@F89 !=2J8C@F?5 \ud83d\ude00 ;FDE @?6 \ud83d\ude15 2 D6C:6D @7 $E@?J4C66< %@H?D9:A A2C<\/p>\n Project partners celebrate after re-dedicating the Verna K Blough Playground on Penrod Street in Stonycreek Township on Saturday October 11, 2025<\/p>\n By David Hurst<\/a><\/p>\n kAm%96 {@42= $92C6 vC2?E[ H9:49 E@E2=65 Saa_[___[ 2=D@ 4@G6C65 E96 4@DE 7@C ?6H A=2J 6BF:A>6?E 2E %96 z?:AA=6 u2>:=J !=2J8C@F?5 @? uC:652 pG6?F6[ 2?5 @E96C A=2J8C@F?5D @? r@=5C6? $EC66E \ud83d\ude15 q6=>@?E[ 2?5 \ud83d\ude15 #:G6CD:56 2=@?8 |:49:82? pG6?F6]k^Am<\/p>\n kAm%96 |:49:82? pG6?F6 !=2J8C@F?5[ H9:49 \ud83d\ude00 =@42E65 2=@?8 E96 y:> |2J6C #:G6CDH2=< %C2:=[ \ud83d\ude00 A2CE @7 E96 $6AE6>36C “ }2E:@?2= %C2:= 4@CC:5@C 2?5 H:== 36 56G6=@A65 \ud83d\ude15 a_ae[ #286C D2:5]\u00a0k^Am<\/p>\n
David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter\u00a0@TDDavidHurst<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram\u00a0@TDDavidHurst<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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