Renovating a Legend

Hank Ketcham, creator of the "Dennis the Menace" comic strip entertained us for years with the exploits of Dennis antagonizing his grumpy neighbor Mr. Wilson. In 1956, Ketcham made Dennis a much more tangible experience with the opening of the "Dennis the Menace" Playground.

On June 1, Ketcham passed away at his home in Pebble Beach, Calif. at the age of 81. He had been battling prostate cancer. Shortly before his death, LASN spoke briefly with Ketcham about the "Dennis the Menace" Playground which is located in Monterey, Calif.

Monterey sits approximately 125 miles south of San Francisco and 345 miles north of Los Angeles. The Monterey Bay lies to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and Carmel Bay to the south.

Founded in 1770 and incorporated in 1850, Monterey served as California's first capital and hosted California's first constitutional convention in 1849. In the 1930s and 40s Monterey became the center of a thriving fishing industry at Cannery Row. Today a smaller commercial fishing fleet and industry continues to operate from the City's harbor marina.

The Playground

In the late 1980s the entire park was repaired and upgraded because the cables on the bridge had stretched and many of the older pieces of equipment were wearing down. A new master plan is in the works for the playground that will include rubber safety surfacing and the addition of modern play structures.

Ketcham provided the creative efforts while the Monterey Park Jaycees donated many hours of labor towards the development of the 1.15 acre playground. The playground has undergone three renovations since it opened. The last renovation took place from September 1987 through February 1988. At that time many new play apparatuses were added to the playground, including a giant rollerslide, a circular slide, a play boat, an adventure ship, and a new play structure. Also added were new walkways within the interior of the park, new planters, picnic tables, benches and a bronze statue of Dennis.

"It is a fun place for kids to go and there are several things for them to climb around on," Ketcham said. "It was really a pleasure to design that park, and it gets a whole lot of use."

Among the more popular attractions at the playground include a steam engine. Old Steam Engine No. 1285 was donated by the Southern Pacific Company in 1956 and it is a favorite of the children at the playground. The giant swing ride swings kids around like a helicopter propeller, going faster and faster.

In the maze, children find themselves in a puzzle of hedges with two entrances. The goal is to find the center of the maze where a circular slide awaits those who are successful in their journey.

"Dennis the Menace" Playground was built in 1956. The vision of "Dennis the Menace" creator Hank Ketcham combined with the hard work of the Monterey Jaycees made the 1.15 acre playground a reality. During the summer more than 2,000 kids visit the park on a daily basis and enjoy such popular play equipment as the suspension bridge.

According to Doug Stafford, City of Monterey Parks Superintendent, the suspension bridge and the roller slide are the most popular items. He said that several years ago there was a piece of equipment called the "Giant Helicopter" and that was the most popular for a while. It was removed to be repaired and as that process evolved and accessibility issues arose, it was simply too expensive to put it back.

Although not a trained Landscape Architect, Ketcham understood what kids wanted in a playground and how to make it fun. After all, he had a young son who was the inspiration for the comic strip.

"Hank Ketcham and a sculptor named Arch Garner designed many of the play equipment pieces in the early 1950s," Stafford said. "He did work with a Landscape Architect on the modifications to the playground that took place in the '60s and in 1987."

The Renovations

Ketcham worked with Richard Murray, a Monterey-based Landscape Architect. Hills were added to a relatively flat area and the play area was expanded. A suspension bridge connected the hills and the maze was installed. Not only did the area become more fun for kids, but for parents as well. The sidewalks that once led to the play equipment were taken out and a "sea of sand" was put in as well as benches and a picnic area.

"We took the space and made it more user friendly," Murray said. "We developed it so parents of the kids would be more comfortable. The duration of a child's play is related to the comfort of the parent.

"A lot of the comfort has to do with the safety of their child."

"Originally in the '50s there was a water element and Monterey's climate is not really conducive to water elements," Stafford said. "It's too cold here most of the time."

The final renovation included the addition of the giant rollerslide, circular slide, a play boat, and adventure ship and a new play structure. A new hill was put in and new walkways within the interior of the park, new planters, picnic tables and a bronze statue of Dennis were installed. A tot play area and new restrooms were added in 1995.

Because of the tremendous amount of use, the last restoration required many repairs and upgrades to the equipment. Murray described it as a "rehabilitation event." He said that the bridge cables were stretched and worn out and many of the older pieces had the fiberglass worn down to the metal. The maze was redone because of holes throughout the hedges caused by kids seeking a shortcut to the circular slide at the center. Murray added that fencing was installed and cypress trees and Lombardi poplars were planted for verticality.

According to Stafford, various vendors have been used for the play equipment. Most recently they have used Landscape Structures and a company called Creative Systems, a small company out of Sacramento, Calif.

"The Recreation Department has done some surveys over the years and I would say that about 1,000-kids-per-day use the park, particularly through the week in the summer," Stafford said. "On the weekends it could be as high as 2,000-per-day."

The Future

Old Steam Engine No. 1285 was donated by the Southern Pacific Company in 1956 and is still a favorite of kids who visit the playground today. In the 1960s, sidewalks that led to the play equipment were taken out and a "sea of sand" was put in. The final renovation to the playground in the late 1980s saw the addition of a play boat and adventure ship.

Stafford said that a master plan for "Dennis the Menace" Playground is in the works and Mrs. Ketcham is interested in participating in the upcoming master plan. It will include ADA considerations and CPSC standards as well as an overall modernization of the park. Stafford added that poured in place rubber will be installed, while leaving some sand area and hopefully decreasing maintenance.

"To have a playground like 'Dennis the Menace,' you have to have staff and an organizational backing to perform that level of maintenance," Stafford said. "Our current maintenance costs run around $4,000-per-month."

The park is definitely not cheap to maintain, but the joy that kids of all ages get from the park is well worth the cost. Bringing out the "Dennis the Menace" in all of us.

"Dennis makes people smile and laugh, which express an innocence shared universally by five-year-olds," Ketcham said. "Some things fortunately never change."