Pima County’s Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation staff installed a new playground at Catalina Neighborhood Park.

Ally Miller, District 1 Board of Supervisors Member, will dedicate a new playground at Catalina Neighborhood Park on Monday, Feb. 25, at 11:30 a.m.  The playground is designed for 5- to 12-year-olds, and replaces playground equipment damaged by the fire last summer.

“I’m excited to dedicate the new playground,” said Supervisor Miller. “It’s so important for kids to have a safe place to play outdoors. The children of Catalina will have a fun place to climb, explore, and slide again.” The playground’s combination of engineered wood fiber and durable blue rubberized surface provides a soft landing for children.

Savannah Williams, a sixth-grader at Coronado K-8 School, selected the colors for the playground equipment. She will also be at the dedication. After seeing the smoke from the burning playground, Savannah gathered over 100 signatures on a petition asking the County to quickly rebuild the park.

The park is located at 16562 North Oracle Road, at the intersection of Pinto Lane, in the community of Catalina.  The ADA-accessible park has recreational resources for all ages including a Community Center, lighted basketball court, pool, shuffleboard court, restrooms, and a ramada with picnic tables.

On July 9, 2012, a fire destroyed the playground equipment. Golder Ranch firefighters responded quickly, and contained the fire so it did not spread to nearby structures or trees. The Golder Ranch Fire Marshall and its investigators did not positively identify an ignition source. The cause of the fire is classified as undetermined at this time.  The case has been turned over to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

Insurance covered $40,000 of the cost for the new playground, with the $9,000 deductible paid by Pima County’s Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department.

For more information about Catalina Neighborhood Park, visit: http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/parks/catalina/index.htm

Slide 1 of 4.
Savannah Williams with her petitions
Source: Pima County Communications OfficeSlide 2 of 4.
Savannah Williams with her grandmother, Ina Mapes; Rafael Payan, director of Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation; and Jan Johnson, chair of the Pima County Parks and Recreation Commission
Source: Pima County Communications OfficeSlide 3 of 4.
The certificate recognizing Savannah Williams' efforts to rebuild Catalina Neighborhood Park's playground
Source: Pima County Communications OfficeSlide 4 of 4.
Catalina Neighborhood Park, where the playground equipment was destroyed by fire and will be replaced.
Source: Pima County Communications Office

Savannah Williams and her grandmother, Ina Mapes, could see the black smoke rising as they headed from Tucson back to their home in Catalina in July.

It was only when they got closer and saw the firetrucks that they realized the playground at Catalina Neighborhood Park had burned again – the third time in four years.

“I thought it was really sad that someone would burn down the one thing in Catalina we had to do,” said Savannah, 11, a sixth-grader at Coronado K-8 School. “I wanted to get another one.”

She waited, but when playground equipment was not quickly replaced, she sprang into action. “If they weren’t going to do it on their own, I was going to aid them,” she said.

She created a petition – Help us rebuild our park, it says – and asked fellow students, teachers, administrators and neighbors to sign it. She’s gathered 90 signatures.

“Most of the people have been very supportive,” Savannah said.

Unbeknownst to Savannah, the Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Department was already planning to replace the playground equipment. But the department staff and Jan Johnson, a Catalina resident who chairs the County Parks and Recreation Commission, were so impressed by Savannah’s efforts that the commission awarded her a certificate of appreciation at its meeting Friday, Oct. 5, at the Catalina Recreation Center, 16562 N. Oracle Road.

They’re going to let Savannah pick the color of the new equipment. Rafael Payan, the department’s director, said the new equipment should be in place before year’s end.

Now Savannah is planning to create posters to put up around town to try to catch the vandals who burned the park. A $2,500 reward offer has not led to an arrest.

“I think we have to keep rebuilding it to show that they can’t stop us from having our playground,” Savannah said.

For more information about Catalina Neighborhood Park and other County parks, please visit http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/parks/index.htm.

Keep up with Pima County on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pimacountyarizona.