FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Greg Jackson, Lee County Parks & Recreation
                (941) 267-2181

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 24, 2001) – Lee County Parks & Recreation has completed the installation of two new playgrounds at Three Oaks Community Park after the old ones were destroyed by vandals in August.

The intentionally set fires burned more than $100,000 of playground equipment over a two-night period of Aug. 8 and 9. In October, the Board of Lee County Commissioners approved $116,000 to replace the structures, and construction began in December.

The new playgrounds include climbing structures, tunnels, slides and a Saf Dek surface. They will open Thursday (Jan. 25).

"We’re happy to have the playgrounds back in operation so the kids of the community have a safe place to play," says Greg Jackson, senior park district supervisor.

Three Oaks Community Park is located at 18251 Three Oaks Parkway just south of Alico Road in the Three Oaks/San Carlos Park community. The park has baseball fields, bike/jogging trails, picnic tables, shelters and grills, playgrounds and racquetball courts.

Lee County’s Parks & Recreation Department maintains and operates 3,500 acres of developed park land, 14 centers, 10 pools, five boat ramps, three Gulf beach parks, one lakefront beach, 76 beach accesses, 60 tennis courts, 73 ballfields, and 13 preserves. The department’s fiscal year 2001 operating budget is $15.1 million.