Playground construction begins at park

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Volunteer workers began construction of an addition to the Effie Doty Memorial Playground at Leonard Park this morning. Hundreds of volunteers are expected to help construct the new playground and do restoration work to the existing equipment. The project will continue through Saturday. Photo by Greg Russell

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March 8, 2011

By GREG RUSSELL, Register Staff Writer Gainesville Daily Register The Daily Register Tue Mar 08, 2011, 10:04 AM CST

Gainesville — The volunteer-fueled Leonard Park playground expansion began early today with a foundation set under heavy overcast. Within five days, rainy or bright, the project should be whole. “We started off with a bang,” said Parks and Recreation Director Patrick McCage, pointing to roughly 70 volunteers, many of them moving lumber to build and set posts. “As long as you have a good foundation, the rest of the structure should be in line. So it’s going great right now.” Project Co-Chair Lynette Pettigrew said the volunteers began at 7 a.m. and will work in three shifts each day under direction from playground builders Leathers & Associates. Workers, which should number around 600 total, will create fencing around the playground and install a tree house and “tic-tac-toe” playsets customized to resemble a train and a squirrel. Pettigrew said the $104,000 project will hopefully include enough reserve funds for playground maintenance and upkeep. The build is an extension of a smaller playground area developed in 1999. “Everything is being done in a step-by-step process,” Pettigrew said. McCage said five days should be more than enough to finish the playground project — and if it is, some of the volunteers will tackle smaller woodworking projects in the area, such as sanding picnic tables. “We have plenty of little items we can conquer within the parks department,” he said.

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