Removing 681 square feet of asphalt and transforming it into a green space would be considered a challenge for some schools in the Portland area. But the teachers, parents and students at Vestal K-8 School on Southeast 82^nd Avenue are using a secret weapon in the war against concrete: momentum.

The Chess for Success Garden project, completed in 2013, was just a drop in the bucket compared to the 30,000 square feet of asphalt the school has depaved since 2008. Even the organization Depave, who helped them with the original projects, said they had enough experience to go at it alone.