​Think Spring and Rethink Learning and Play.
Some Observer-Reporter articles are so good and important, they need to be republished. The following article, is one of those.
Nonprofit to rethink playground space
By Katie Anderson July 31, 2020 Publication: Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA) 
Dennis Smiddle, owner of a playground maintenance company, Fans of Play, recently started a nonprofit called Fans 4 Help.
The nonprofit, which advocates for more natural and open playground spaces, will seek grants to fund the design and installation of those types of playgrounds in school districts and community parks.

"One of the best ways for children to learn is through play," Smiddle said. "There's a mindset that play is all about playground equipment, but that's structured play – it can only really do what it was designed to do. There's a lot more to play than swinging, sliding and climbing."

According to Smiddle, a retired state inspector of child care facilities and playgrounds, children need access to playtime in more natural environments, "where kids can get outside in open spaces and make up their own games and use their imagination."

Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, more open spaces on playgrounds make more sense, Smiddle said. He said traditional playgrounds with slides and swings and climbing areas are difficult to maintain and keep sanitized.

"Every playground has a capacity," he said. "It's very difficult to social distance on a playground."

The nonprofit will offer design services, consultations and playground products that meet the mission of his company, like raised-bed gardens, sandboxes and balance beams. In the name of the nonprofit, "FANS" stands for Fitness, Art, Nature and Science, while "HELP" stands for Health, Environment, Learning and Play, 

"It's more of an empowering concept," he said. "People can design their own playgrounds, where you don't have to rely on these big playground companies."

Smiddle said school districts and municipalities typically purchase playground equipment through catalogs because "it's easy," and because people don't realize other options are available. However, he said the concepts he uses are safer for children, more cost effective and they "reduce liability."

"I'm hoping to get funding and build awareness so that communities can start to change the playground mindset to a more natural concept to help protect children and provide more beneficial playground opportunities for learning and play," he said.
Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA)

Be the best that you can be.
As JFK said three generations (60 years) ago, “For of those to whom much is given much is required.” And as the Bible [Luke 12:48] said 20 centuries (2000 years) ago, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”
However in today's world, schools and community decision-makers are being given large sums of monies for school safety plans, for health and safety plans, and for economic relief plans, with little to no oversight and transparency requirements on how the money is spent. 
So, everybody needs to know that you have a right to know and an obligation to care about what is right, just, equitable, fair and ethical. More so and more than ever before, there needs to be more oversight and more transparency on how these monies are being spent for our collective well-being.
Today, due to this current pandemic, everybody is essentially on the honor system, so please honor our essential workers, essential services, and our environment.
If you think about this, some of our most essential and most important rights, are our rights for clean air, clean water and clean soil. These are the essential cornerstones to all life on earth. In fact, air pollution significantly harms the quality of our soil and water resources, causing significant harm to the health and well-being of all of us, and especially to the health and well-being of our children.
So, we need to pull our range of resources and expertise to help expect the best practices and results for what may be a once in a lifetime funding opportunity.
I believe we should not just expect the best, we should take some action and responsibility to help ensure that things are done right, just, fair, equitably, transparently, and ethically. There is no place in our political system or our ecosystem for ethnocentrism ( def. - "thinking one's own group's ways are superior to others" or "judging other groups as inferior to one's own)."
Thank you and stay safe,
Dennis Smiddle - Executive Director of FANS 4 HELP (a new 2020 nonprofit).

​With the 2022 Winter Olympics due to begin this February 4th, other countries are being warned by China, to not criticize their human rights and foreign policies. Com'on China, are you talking to America? Are you talking to US? Cause if you are, please be advised, "We don't need you're stinkin' warnings." Don't tell us what not to say about some of your "bat-shit crazy" policies. Plus, we know not to "yell fire in a crowded theater or crowded country and most of us know not to "fan the flames" of a pandemic from any origin.
Also, criticism can be both negative and constructive. Constructive criticism can be given with a compassionate and helpful attitude, where as, destructive criticism can be given with an insulting and harmful attitude.
Besides, we will always have our globally recognized Special Olympics and our Senior Olympics everywhere and every year.
Thank you,
Dennis Smiddle Proud Father of Veronica Smiddle - a Director of Special Olympics in Southern California and proud 5-time Gold Medalist in various SWPA Senior Games.

The past two years have been very trying and difficult times for all of us, and I'm sure we'll all agree that we need a "new lease on life", especially for the children, the most vulnerable and the most essential workers involved in these pandemic times.
The origin and meaning of the phrase, "a new lease on life" dates back to the early 1800s; and it referred to recovering from an illness and getting a fresh start with renewed enjoyment, enthusiasm, and appreciation for one's life. Epidemics that were probably influenza in their nature, have been reported throughout recorded history. Four major influenza epidemics were recorded between 1830 and 1848. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population.
Unfortunately, today's pandemic and potentially future pandemics will still have some of the same serious consequences, but at the same time we are all better prepared to fight these viruses with the same tried and true health and safety methods, plus with some new and scientifically proven safeguards.
Therefore, we all need to keep up our guards for this long and tough fight, with proper handwashing, sanitizing, social distancing, masking, personal protective equipment, ventilation and vaccines, to help protect ourselves, the children, the most vulnerable and the most essential workers in this battle that is everybody's business.
Finally, to help win all tough fights and battles, we need to know our opponents strength​s and plans of attack. In the case of these pandemics, their battle plan is viral and respiratory, with it's deadliest attacks on our lungs, that will weaken the rest of our body's functions. As a result, the best offenses and defenses we have against this pandemic, are to provide clean, fresh and healthy air to our lungs, while protecting our lungs from any harmful viral and respiratory attacks, including radon, methane, mold and carbon monoxide.
Com'on America, let's keep up the good fight together and never give-up the fight forever, where we live, work, learn, play, eat and sleep.
Thank you,
Dennis Smiddle - Founder of FANS 4 HELP and PA State Representative with The Citizens For Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3)

Tragically, two of the most deadly apartment and housing fires in their city's history, occurred recently in Philadelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love" and New York City, the "City that Never Sleeps."  Truth be told, this should not have happened to the (31) poor men, women and children who died in these fires or the many untold people who died and were seriously injured in other fires.  They should have been shown more love where they live, work, learn, play and sleep.
Yes, these fires will be blamed on faulty space heaters, fire doors that were left open, smoke detectors that didn't work and other reasons, as reported by the news, but com'on America, this is 2022.  Should this be happening in the USA too?
News flash, there are Lithium Battery 10-Year Tamper-Proof Smoke and Carbon monoxide Detectors/Alarms.  This is not new technology, it has been around for decades.  This is a proactive and preventive way to stop all people from removing the batteries, from forgetting to replace the batteries and from using these detectors and alarms improperly.  That is, provided they are installed properly by responsible persons.  Also, space heaters need to be used properly, if needed.  They need to be in good repair and the space heater instructions need to be followed.  Extension cords should never be used with a space heater.
Then, with all the fire safety instructions, proper or professional fire safety inspections and drills need to be provided and maintained to help ensure everyone's safety.  Fire safety doors should be equipped with alarms to prevent the doors from being left open.  Safe exits need to be provided, clearly identified and clearly maintained.
Clearly, much more needs to be done for the needy and everybody.  Maybe, the city officials and business leaders should pay more attention to the health, safety and lives of others and who knows, maybe this will help them pay for their own bottom lines too.
Finally, did you know that there are zero deaths from fires in schools?  This is because the fire detection systems work and nobody should be sleeping on the job.  
Truth be told, this should be the case with radon testing since radon causes over 21,000 deaths each year, carbon monoxide detection for poisoning that can quickly kill over 430 people each year, and lead testing due to over 400,000 deaths each year from lead exposure.
Com'on America, this is both a business plan and a battle plan to help protect everyone, especially our children.  As Teddy Roosevelt once said, People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." 
Thank you,
Dennis Smiddle - founder and executive director of FANS 4 HELP.
​*Information sources from Siri.

 For example, our schools have been signing or resigning leases with gas and oil companies for over a decade and without any provisions for radon testing. Radon is a known carcinogen and the second leading cause of lung cancer. It is estimated to cause 21,000 deaths a year. It attacks the respiratory system and can more severely impact the health of young children. Radon can’t be seen, tasted or smelled. In fact, the only way to know if dangerous levels of radon are present is through radon testing. This is not expensive, nor is radon testing complicated. It is a chief responsibility of PA school boards to provide and maintain educationally efficient facilities and the only way to determine if a radon threat exists is to conduct independent radon testing. This needs to be addressed in all written agreements or leases for drilling on public school properties by gas and oil companies. According to Kathryn Whitfill, National PTA President, "EPA's national survey of schools produced some alarming results about concentrations (of radon gas) in our children's classrooms. Public awareness must be raised about the hazards of radon to hasten efforts to reduce the danger. All schools must be tested to determine if there is a problem, and schools must inform parents of the results. We cannot ignore this problem." This problem can be further complicated by the COVID-19 virus and its variants which can pose a threat to respiratory systems and unfortunately, radon gas cannot be efficiently filtered by masks or ventilation systems. However, the good news is that radon can be cost-effectively removed through radon reduction systems, if necessary. Finally, according to Keith Geiger, an NEA President, “All students have the right to expect a safe and healthy environment. Teachers and other school employees should encourage their schools to conduct radon tests and undertake all necessary corrective actions. The health of our children demands no less."

FANS 4 HELP, a new 2020 non-profit, has designed an innovative "fun"draising" and/or
​"do"nation" opportunity that really helps to create better Health, Environment, Learning, Play and Safety.  So, here we go!
With our partner, Tot Talk - tottalk.com/ - we can supply placemats that really matter for good clean fun and learning every day. These colorful, durable, double-sided, and anti-bacterial laminated placemats have easy to sanitize surfaces with fun and educational purposes.   This is guaranteed to succeed by helping everyone with what we need.
Some examples of help are:
The Tot Talk Police placemat can help learning about the important police work and services.​

​

A Tot Talk Fire Station placemat can help learning about the important fire safety work and services.

A Tot Talk Food and Vitamins placemat can help learning about healthy food. 

A Tot Talk Dogs placemat can help learning about dogs and the need for the Humane Society and ASPCA services.

The help that we can do is limited only by our imagination. Thank you for your help and  consideration.
Dennis Smiddle - Founder and Executive Director of FANS 4 HELP - www.fansofplay.com - (724) 825-5121 and dennissmiddle@msn.com
Stay Safe and Stay FANS 4 HELP 

FANS 4 HELP, a new 2020 nonprofit, can help individuals, businesses and organizations make tax-deductible donations for more beneficial learning every day and for more fundraising ways.
We are what we do and with our partners too, we can help empower anyone to create a long-lasting library of learning with our Tot Talk placemats-tottalk.com/ - that really matter with easy to sanitize surfaces and more fun with educational purposes.  We can help you close the educational gap, where you live, learn, work, eat, and even nap.  This is not a business plan, it is a health and safety plan that we really need and is guaranteed to succeed.
For example, anyone can purchase our laminated learning  placemats (25% off the online price) and donate them to your local library, child care or school for a long-lasting library of learning.  Also, FANS 4 HELP will offer free shipping to you or your designated "do-nation."  In fact, a new IRS tax law allows donations (up to $300) to be tax deductible even for non-itemized returns.
Other examples are, many of our placemats can be used to help other nonprofits or organizations with learning and fundraising opportunities. Our Food and Vitamins placemat -tottalk.com/food-groups-vitamins-placemat/ can be purchased and donated to local food banks for a complimentary give-away or a reselling fundraiser.  A reselling opportunity of 50 placemats, could help a food bank raise $350 at the recommended online price, plus helping everyone to learn more about healthy foods. 
A purchase of (50) Tot Talk placemats on Dogs - tottalk.com/dogs-placemat/ - can be donated to a local Humane Society or the ASPCA for a learning give-away or fundraiser of $350 or more.  The Tot Talk Dog placemat includes learning on 30 breeds of dogs, including the Recue Dog. 
A purchase of a Tot Talk sports placemats can be "do-nated to a sports organization, our Ballet placemat can be "do-nated to a dance school, or our music placemats can be "do-nated" to a child care, school or music organization.  The early learning help and/or help for all ages and stages is only limited by our imaginations and by our organization with FANS 4 HELP.
Any monetary donations made directly to FANS 4 HELP, will receive our Certificate of Appreciation and our approved nonprofit tax information.
Thank you for all you "do"!
Dennis Smiddle - Founder and Executive Director of FANS 4 HELP - www.fansofplay.com and feel free to contact me anytime for free estimates and consultations on any "do-nations."