Members researched new playgrounds in the area to see what they liked.

Naughton took her granddaughter Haley and her friends on research trips to Mary Wood Park in Conshohocken, Castle Park in Doylestown, Smith Playground in Fairmount Park and many others.

The board agreed that reviving the rocket ship from when Houston Playground was built would be a great theme. The idea of ​​a space theme was one that
capture the imagination of young people and could be fun for all age groups.

The Council reviewed the projects and determined that the playground options proposed by Burke would best fit its vision.

Fortunately, Burke residents were among the vendors that Parks and Recreation (PPR) purchased from and they proposed a rocket-themed playground. The Council continued its research meticulously and identified other areas in Houston that also needed improvements.

Finally, in October 2022, the email they were hoping for arrived.

Councilman Jones has agreed to spend $350,000 of his operating budget on Houston Playground Renovations!

It was exciting news, but it also came with a warning: The wheels of city government often turn slowly. The transfer of funds had to wait for certification by the comptroller’s office before it could be transferred to the PPR account in Houston Playground’s name.

While we waited impatiently, the comptroller resigned her position to run for mayor. A few months later, Houston finally received certification from the comptroller’s office in late January 2023.

During the waiting period, Naughton had contacted Burke’s representative and given them their budget and asked the representative to indicate what she could afford.

Council could also sit down with the Parks and Recreation community engagement staff to determine what we needed. After some back and forth, a final design was approved in April 2023.

The euphoria did not last long, as shortly afterward it was discovered that the project would cost $350,000 over budget. This meant that only one playground could be renovated within the budget.

No worries… Councilor Jones has come to the rescue again! Jones has miraculously managed to raise additional funds to keep the ship sailing on both playgrounds.

In February 2024, when PPR announced that permits had been approved and equipment had been ordered, Roxborough resident Tom Ballingall was handed the reins of his dream job and was now overseeing operations from the director’s chair.

Henninger had been promoted and transferred, which meant she wouldn’t be at the helm to see all her hard work on the project come to fruition.

The fences were installed in mid-April to begin the transformation, with the target date set for June, which would coincide with the start of summer camp. While it was inconvenient to no longer have access to the playgrounds, watching the construction process take shape only added to the anticipation of finally seeing the final product unveiled.

On June 12, two years after the start of the work, children were able to happily climb on the Rocket-2 and have fun on the other modernized equipment on the site.

On July 16, Houston held a ribbon-cutting ceremony, inviting those involved in the creation of this brilliant new work of art.

In the presence of dozens of young people who directly benefited from the renovations and with television cameras filming, PPR Commissioner Susan Slawson took to the stage to express her gratitude to Councillor Jones for his generosity in funding and to Karen Williamson Naughton and the dedicated disciples who worked diligently to achieve this audacious feat.

After Jones and Naughton congratulated each other on their concern for the well-being of children in our community, it was time to cut the ribbon.

With dozens of children gathered around, Slawson recruited Rox United soccer phenom Annika Kabinoff to help him do the honors of officially announcing the opening.

And like that, it was, “Houston…we have a playground.”