Rebuilt playground open for use in Catalina
Reporter: Aaron Brackett
Catalina, Ariz (KGUN9-TV) - July 2012 vandals set the plastic playground ablaze at Catalina Neighborhood Park in broad daylight. For the last eight months leading to late February, hundreds of kids in the small community would pass by the charred remains hoping to play at the park again.
Leading the way was 12 year old Savannah Williams who took it upon herself to expedite the process.
"I made a petition on lined paper, by hand, and I passed it around school asking people at my bus stop," Said Williams. "I basically just went around asking people if they would sign it."
Monday, the tiny call to the county was answered as the ribbon was cut to this new playground set.
George Kuck is the Operations and Maintenance Manager for Pima county parks. 9OYS asked him what the county is doing to prevent another repeat arson.
"The engineered wood fiber does have fire retardant in it," said Kuck. "We are working with our risk management department to move a surveillance camera system over here."
That's good news for parents who missed taking their kids to the park.
Kuck told 9OYS the camera system that will be installed lets operators see the park in real time, this way if vandalism does occur, police can be dispatched and hopefully catch the perpetrators in the act.
According to Kuck, the county had to shell out $9,000 to pay for the new equipment while the county's insurance covered the rest of the $49,000 price tag.
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