When the Verna K. Blough Playground reopened in 2025, project planners described it as a tribute to the longtime teacher and an Oakland school lost in a 1973 fire.<\/p>\n
Blough and the brick schoolhouse were back on the old schoolyard Saturday \u2013 preserved in art.<\/p>\n
kAmq@E9 H6C6 5:DA=2J65 \ud83d\ude15 2 4@=@C7F= >FC2= F?G6:=65 3J $E@?J4C66< %@H?D9:A !=2J8C@F?5 r@>>:EE66 >6>36CD[ q@EE=6 (@C<\/p>\n
kAm%96 A2:?E:?8 D6CG6D 2D 2? :?E6C24E:G6 324<5C@A 7@C E96 !6?C@5 $EC66E A=2J8C@F?5 2?5 6?23=6D 49:=5C6? E@ =62C? 23@FE q=@F89[ H9@ DA6?E >F49 @7 96C 42C66C E6249:?8 2E E96 D49@@=[ $E@?J4C66< %@H?D9:A !=2J8C@F?5 r@>>:EE66 >6>36C {:D2 #286C D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmq=@F89 E2F89E 2E vC62E6C y@9?DE@H? $49@@= s:DEC:4E 7@C be J62CD \ud83d\ude15 E96 564256D 367@C6 96C a_aa 562E9]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm#286C DA6?E 96C 7:CDE 76H J62CD @7 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= 2E ~2<=2?5 t=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 92D 7@?5 >6>@C:6D @7 q=@F89 2?5 96C 4@>A2DD:@? 7@C 49:=5C6?]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm%9C@F89 E96 >FC2=VD QD42G6?86C 9F?EQ DEJ=6 :>286CJ[ 49:=5C6? H:== D@@? 36 23=6 E@ FD6 2 D42??23=6 “# 4@56 E@ 9F?E 7@C :E6>D 24C@DD E96 A2:?E65 H2==[ vC62E6C y@9?DE@H? $6?:@C z2AC:6D6 q6=EK 2?5 a_ae 8C25F2E6 {2<6? |4p766 D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm!:646D @7 42?5J 25@C? E96 EC66D[ C67=64E:?8 q=@F89VD 923:E @7 C6H2C5:?8 49:=5C6? H:E9 DH66E EC62ED]\u00a0k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmp 4C@DD DJ>3@=:K6D 96C DEC@?8 72:E9]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmp? :>286 @7 q=@F89 5FC:?8 96C E6249:?8 52JD 3@@<6?5D @?6 D:56 @7 E96 H2==[ H9:=6 2 A@CEC2:E @7 96C =2E6C \ud83d\ude15 =:76 25@C?D E96 @AA@D:E6 6?5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmq6=EK 2?5 |4p766 DA6?E A2CE @7 =2DE D49@@= J62C C6D62C49:?8 q=@F89 2?5 E96 @?6\\E:>6 ~2<=2?5 D49@@= 2?5 D2:5 5:88:?8 :?E@ E96 A2DE H2D 2 3:E @7 2 9F?E 7@C E96> 2D H6==]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm%96C6 H6C6?VE >2?J DFCG:G:?8 A9@E@D @7 E96 @=5 D49@@= \u2013 2?5 2? :?E6CG:6H H:E9 2 7@C>6C DEF56?E 6?565 FA =625:?8 E96> E@ C6A2:?E E96 D49@@=9@FD6]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmQ(96? H6 D2H E96 D49@@= H2D 3C:4<[ H6 2DDF>65 :E H2D C65[Q q6=EK D2:5]\u00a0k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmqFE E92E H2D?VE E96 42D6 \u2013 2?5 =62G:?8 :E E92E H2J H2D?VE 8@@5 6?@F89[ 96 25565[ ?@E:?8 E92E DEF56?ED H6?E E9C@F89 E96 AC@46DD @7 C6A2:?E:?8 E96 3F:=5:?8 \ud83d\ude15 :ED ?2EFC2= 62CE9 E@?6 4@=@C]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmxEVD DA64:2= C64@8?:K:?8 E92E E96 7:?2= AC@5F4E H:== 36 A2CE @7 E96 ~2<=2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6[ q6=EK 2?5 |4p766 D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmQyFDE D66:?8 E96 D>:=6D :E 3C:?8D ]]]] >2<6D >6 766= 8@@5[Q q6=EK 25565]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmq@EE=6 (@C62?:?87F= >FC2=D E@ E96 y@9?DE@H? 4@>>F?:EJ[ pDD:DE2?E !F3=:4 pCE r@?DF=E2?E }2E2=:6 {232E6 D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm%96 AC@;64E H2D 2 492==6?86] !2:?E:?8 2 >FC2= @? E6IEFC65 3C:4< \ud83d\ude00 ?@ 62DJ E2D<[ {232E6 D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmqFE E96 E66?D DEF4< H:E9 :E[ D96 25565]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAm#286C D2:5 E96 8C@FA 5:5 2 A96?@>6?2= ;@3]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmQ%@ D66 E96 D49@@= 96C6 282:? 2?5 WE96D6X >6>@C:6D @7 |CD q=@F89[ :EVD E@F49:?8[Q #286C D2:5]k^Am<\/p>\n
kAmQ!F3=:4 2CE >@G6D A6@A=6[Q D96 25565] Qp?5 H6 ?665 >@C6 @7 :E]Qk^Am<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/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