From the Director:
This is the first of what will be a monthly report on what is new in your parks and recreation department. With 93 parks, six community centers, Osceola Golf Course, Hunter swimming pool and numerous sports fields and facilities, there is always something happening within the City.

Construction underway on new Clay Courts for Roger Scott Tennis Center
The Roger Scott Tennis Center is being expanded to include 10 new clay tennis courts. Funding for this project comes from Penny for Progress monies from both Escambia County and the City of Pensacola. The new courts should be ready for play in January of 2010. You can keep up with the progress of this project by clicking on Capital Projects listed in the Menu above.

New Park Gazebo's
Cordova Square, located at 12th and Gonzalez, is getting a small Gazebo. The East Hill Neighborhood Association raised the funds needed for the building material and are using volunteer's to construct the gazebo as well. Work is nearing completion. Stop by and see what community and neighborhood volunteerism can accomplish.

There is also a new (large) Gazebo at Audubon-Eastgate Park, (Audubon and Tide Dr.) that is almost ready for neighborhood use. The Gazebo is being named in honor of Elizabeth Peaden, a long time park advocate and current president of the neighborhood associations. Once the picnic tables arrive the Gazebo will be ready for neighborhood use. Your parks and building maintenance staff have just finished installing an irrigation system for the park and new trees will be planted throughout the park later this year.

Speaking of Volunteers
If you would like to support our efforts to keep your neighborhood parks cleaner and safer please feel free to call me at 436-5679 or email me David L. Flaherty.  Currently 13 of the city's 93 parks have been adopted by neighborhood residents who help keep the litter in the park picked-up and call if they see any safely problems like tree limbs ready to fall, broken park benches or playground equipment that is broken. City park crews do check the parks, but due to the large number of parks, they are only getting to 30 of the most used parks once a week, another 30 we get to every two weeks and for the last 33 parks, staff is getting there every three to four weeks. We could use you help. We will even provide the trash bags and the litter "pick-up" stick for your use.

Summer Youth Camps
Our summer camps for children ages 5 to 12 are in full swing. If you are still looking for a quality program to place your child in during the work week, give us a try. Our summer staff have "tons of fun" planned for the children who are in our camps that takes place at Vickrey, Gull Point, Fricker and Cobb Community Centers. For more information on them, call 436-5670

New Community Center Nearing Completion
The new Sanders Beach - Corinne Jones Community Center is in its final stage of construction. Named in honor of Fred Sanders and Corinne Jones, the 17,900 square foot building is scheduled to be completed in late July or early August. The center will have a large social hall, several meeting rooms, a library and computer room, a game room and an arts and crafts room. While the building is impressive and will provide some great programs and services for the surrounding neighborhood, what is really special is the location of the new center. Located at Sonia and I Street. (next to the Grotto) the center has an incredible view of Pensacola Bay. If you're looking for a great place to hold a wedding, family reunion or a special event of some type, this will be the place you will want to hold it.

New Parks and Recreation Web Pages to be unveiled in early August
The department's web pages are in the process of a complete "overhaul". Our site will be extremely user friendly and very informative.