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Neighborhood Report

A haven for tiny tots to close

Canceled insurance will end 60 years of Play Haven Preschool.

By ERIKA VIDAL
Published August 4, 2006

Betsy Sanders hoped the preschool her grandmother started would stay open for at least one more year. But after August, Play Haven Preschool, a neighborhood fixture for the past 60 years, will close for good.

Last month, the school's insurance company dropped its homeowner's insurance, citing hurricane-related factors. Sanders said her family has tried to find coverage elsewhere, but no company will insure the grandfathered-in commercial business she runs from her home at 1507 S Georgia Ave.

The news shocked parents of the 45 children enrolled, she said.

Sanders' grandmother, Myra Steele Quinn, opened her first preschool in 1928 on Bayshore Boulevard. In 1946, she and her husband bought a house on Georgia Avenue and two adjacent lots to expand the school. They named it Play Haven Tiny Tots Outdoor School, but back then it was known to most as "Mrs. Quinn's."

Anne Pittman, who lives in Parkland Estates, attended Play Haven in the mid 1970s. She keeps in touch with former classmates, many of whom have sent their children there. She's planning a Play Haven reunion at the end of August for alumni and their parents.

Sanders' mother, Jeanne Sanders, who ran the now closed Jeanne's Swim School for 35 years, also ran Play Haven for a while. Sanders took over in 1992, and after 15 years, can't believe it's ending. "I've been here since I was born," she said, "I've lived on this street for 35 years."

While growing up in the house next door, Sanders put on puppet shows for the kids. Now, "I'm owner, director, teacher, janitor. I wear all the hats," she said laughing.

Most staffers have been there for at least six years. Marcy Layton has been teaching at Play Haven for 24 years. "All my children came here," she said with sadness in her voice.

The thought of leaving saddens Layton and Sanders. "We're a little touchy today," Sanders said last Friday.

"These are my kids," she said, nodding toward the 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds on the playground.

It is a "daunting task" to pick up and leave 60 years of work and memories behind, she said.

Sanders and her family plan to move to Denver once everything is sold and settled - a big move considering her family has been in Tampa since the 1800s.

Play Haven hopes to sell everything from learning materials to playground toys. Anyone interested in buying materials can call Sanders at 813 254-6069.

Erika Vidal can be reached at (813) 226-3339 or evidal@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 2, 2006, 12:36:32]