Making Parks Safe for Kids

Last week our Church Ladies had a “Cook Out” Church Dinner at - wait till you hear this - PEWTER MUG! Anybody who has been here for just a few years or more will remember this wonderful restaurant with a tremendous Salad Bar (almost unheard of anymore – except for Spanky’s on Airport Rd.) served family style, and wonderful steaks and seafood, and a huge selection of entrée’s and many desserts to choose from. It’s a long drive out there, past Immokalee Rd to 14700 Tamiami Trail North (Or 9th Street N), but it was well worth it, and at this time of year, it was an easy drive, especially with four ladies in our car with Bonnie K., driving. It was fun, and if we didn’t know each other before then, we sure know them now, and we found that everyone was a neighbor (or church friend). You would have loved it! The men are having dinner at Sam Sneads as well and also will have great food. You know, you really get to know each other with food on the table. People seemed to be happier and friendlier and talk more easily. Years ago, there was an outdoor theater located near the Pewter Mug, so I would pack sandwiches for the kids (I couldn’t afford to buy them all dinners), dress them in their P.J.’s, and we’d go to watch a movie. One was almost asleep when we got there, others dropped off to sleep during the movie, but one little one (Sherri) never even closed her eyes! She watched everything on the screen. Stayed awake till we got home, and she was still young. 

• Speaking of kids, you probably know I’ve always been interested in the County Parks Dept., but I noticed most of the parks have places for the kids to play inside, whether it’s cold, raining, lightening, etc., or so hot the kids should stay inside rather than get terribly burned or get heat stroke. Most parks have a gymnasium, at least one in each park for each separate area of Collier County and all the city parks, BUT the Eagle Lakes Community Park (also called Donna Fiala Park, so you know which park we are talking about - I call it by the original name here). When I was still a commissioner, I asked the county to build a gymnasium at this park as they have in most of the other parks including Immokalee, Golden Gate, North Naples, and both cities have them, but THIS park does not, so I started to fix that problem as well, but then I retired, and the project was eliminated from the plan, which already been designed and had money to start the project. As an aside, just to mention, Sugden Park, also in East Naples, has NO place for a child to seek protection or get inside and away from lightning! Yes, over at the Pickleball Park (East Naples Community Park, which has become the Pickleball Park) does have a little place for the kids to play, but of course it’s eight miles away from the other park. A gymnasium would allow kids to play inside, play basketball, games, and so much more, but we have no money, and both of our commissioners represent their own cities, so East Naples doesn’t seem to exist. We have no one that lives in East Naples. I have called one commissioner, and I will call another and ask them to help these kids have the same luxury (gymnasium) that other sections of Collier County have. We have so many children who need a safe place to play, but the money goes to the other parks that already have things like that. Take a ride over to the Eagle Lakes Park - it’s a lovely park! And a huge room inside to exercise or work out for adults, but no storage to even hold a basketball or other games for kids. It’s quite a shame. So I’m asking you if you’ll help the East Naples kids get a gymnasium for that park! I asked one commissioner if he would help us, and he said yes, but I haven’t heard anymore and I’ll ask around to others. Maybe when they have those big fundraisers for kids in our community, the organizers could remember these kids need a gymnasium. Immokalee has had a swimming pool for many years and a gymnasium. Of course, other parks have them, but we are the only ones that I know of who have none, so just maybe the Eagle Lakes Park could get some upgrades for these kids. Someday I should tell you the sad story about what the parks looked like when we came here. No, you don’t want to hear that. We’ll work together to get the job done and let people know what we need. We’ve done pretty well so far with a playground and a pool. Now we need a nice gymnasium to keep these kids out of harm’s way and active even in bad weather. I could arrange for an escorted tour of the parks for you to view what others have, so you can see the difference. Drop me a line: donnafiala@gmail.com if you want to help! I know a lot of people are not in town, but this little paper goes a pretty long way. My girlfriend Cassie said her sister called her from Pennsylvania and said she saw her name in the paper! People might leave for the north, but they like to keep track of this little paradise down here to make sure everything is functioning well. 

There were so many things I wanted to tell you this week, but I got carried away with this project that is on my mind all the time.