Jan 26, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  John Yarbrough, Lee County Parks & Recreation
               461-7410

COUNTY TO OFFICIALLY OPEN SCHANDLER HALL COMMUNITY PARKS SPORTS COMPLEX CENTER

WHAT: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Schandler Hall Park Sports Complex

WHEN: Noon, Saturday, January 29, 2005

WHERE: Schandler Hall Community Park, 419 Florence Avenue, Tice (off Palm Beach Blvd (SR80) between Royal Palm Park and Florence avenues).

MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Commissioner Doug St. Cerny

OTHER: The public is invited to attend; refreshments courtesy of the Jevon Kearse Foundation; activities provided by Lee County Parks & Recreation.

BACKGROUND (description of new facilities is underlined):
Schandler Hall Community Park Sports Complex

Tice is a quickly changing and growing community in Lee County. Rapid growth demands 'new and improved' facilities. That was never more true than with Schandler Community Hall and the Park that serves Tice and the surrounding communities. The Lee County Board of County Commissioners saw the urgent need to upgrade this park. Numerous improvements have now been added to this facility to help meet the expanding recreational needs of the area's citizens.

Lee County Parks and Recreation is proud to celebrate today the grand opening of our new sports complex at Schandler Hall Community Park. This is Phase II of several phases to improve the park and community center. Phase II consists of construction of a covered multi-purpose recreation pavilion that houses facilities for basketball, tennis and other recreational activities, two outdoor tennis/basketball courts, restrooms with an attached pavilion, sand volleyball, shuffleboard, landscaping, and parking. The total cost for Phase II is $1,315,000 including $1,137,000 for construction and $178,000 for design.
Schandler Hall Community Park

In addition to the new sports complex, there are other facilities and amenities in the park. A playground with a water fountain, outdoor restrooms, expanded nature walking trails and picnic tables. There is also a Bermuda grass soccer/softball/football field and a shuffleboard court. And best of all..these facilities are open FREE to the public daily.

Schandler Hall Community Center
Our recreation center/community building is offering a wide variety of programs including summer camps, arts & crafts, aerobics, dance classes, girls scouts, sports club, homework club, computer classes, nutrition classes, cooking club, tennis lessons, teen programs, and special events. In addition to the computer room, there is an open recreation room and a stage The center is available for open recreation for playing pool table, foosball, electronic games and board games Monday through Friday from 2 pm-6 pm for ages 7-12 and continuing until 8 pm for ages 10 and older. All of the programs are FREE to the public.

Park History
The Lion's Club created the center in 1948. Mr. E.O. "Pop" Schandler was one of the major moving forces who helped start the building for our community. By 1952, the Community Center was completed. In honor of Mr. Schandler, the facility was named "Schandler Hall Center". In 2003, Phase 1 included rebuilding and lighting the athletic field and replacing the restroom building. The 2004 Phase II began with the purchase of adjacent property where the old Crossroads Baptist Church was located. And there will be future improvements to the park and center. Future phase(s) will include expansion/reconstruction of the recreation building and will occur as soon as acquisition of adjacent property is complete probably a year or two. The community center will be expanded with large porches to provide shaded areas for outside activities and cover during the rainy.

The Parks and Recreation Team
Our TEAM is growing and working for a better future in our community! The staff is looking for volunteers willing to help us with the children and adults activities. If interested in volunteering and being part of the TEAM, please call us. For more information about our programs and activities or volunteering, please call 239-694-6467. The Lee County Parks and Recreation staff looks forward to serving the residents and visitors of our community.

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