{"id":187455,"date":"2026-03-11T16:57:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/187455\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T16:57:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T16:57:08","slug":"new-playground-joe-stonis-park-get-kids-thumbs-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/187455\/","title":{"rendered":"New playground Joe Stonis Park get kids thumbs-up"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n City holds ribbon cutting at ADA accessible park <\/p>\n

1 \/ 5<\/p>\n

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The new playground facility at Joe Stonis park offers children a safe, inclusive place to play, have fun, get outside, and explore. The playground is ADA accessible, offering all children in the area a chance to play together without boundaries.<\/p>\n

SARAH MCCORMICK<\/p>\n

2 \/ 5<\/p>\n

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The new playground facility at Joe Stonis park offers children a safe, inclusive place to play, have fun, get outside, and explore. The playground is ADA accessible, offering all children in the area a chance to play together without boundaries.<\/p>\n

SARAH MCCORMICK<\/p>\n

3 \/ 5<\/p>\n

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Richard McCormick, 10, cuts the ribbon to celebrate the new Joe Stonis playground facility, the newest upgrade to the city\u2019s park infrastructure. Standing with him from the left are Jace Adkins of SSM, Councilmember Joe Kilraine, Councilmember Keith Long, Councilmember Laurie Lehmann, and Parks and Recreation Director Joe Patrella.<\/p>\n

SARAH MCCORMICK<\/p>\n

4 \/ 5<\/p>\n

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Cape Coral City Councilmember Keith Long speaks on the upgrades made to Joe Stonis Park at at 3444 Ceitus Parkway.<\/p>\n

SARAH MCCORMICK<\/p>\n

5 \/ 5<\/p>\n

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The new playground facility at Joe Stonis park offers children a safe, inclusive place to play, have fun, get outside, and explore. The playground is ADA accessible, offering all children in the area a chance to play together without boundaries.<\/p>\n

SARAH MCCORMICK<\/p>\n

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A community ribbon cutting ceremony for the upgraded playground at Joe Stonis Park in the northwest Cape was held Friday.<\/p>\n

Wielding the scissors was 10-year-old Cape Coral resident Richard McCormick, who was part of a lineup of elected officials and city leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis new playground is a great example of investing wisely in our existing infrastructure, and indicative of the fact that this council is dedicated to replacing aging equipment with modern, durable, low maintenance features that\u2019ll serve families for years to come,\u201d said Cape Coral City Councilmember Keith Long. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of long-term fiscally responsible investment that this council is proud to support.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to recognize the legacy of Joe Stonis, whose namesake this park carries. He was a tireless advocate for trees, open space, and beautification for Cape Coral, and I know he\u2019d be proud to see a playground like this giving young families opportunities to enjoy the outdoors that he loved so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard weighed in on being asked to cut the ribbon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was happy and excited. I really like the new playground compared to the old one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Joe Stonis Park is a 7-acre park with walking trails, a 1-acre lake, playground equipment, pickleball and tennis courts, shuffleboard, and horseshoe pits that was dedicated in 2008, and named after the well-known resident who was an environmentalist who dedicated his life to beautifying the City of Cape Coral. Having moved to the area in 1981 at the age of 73, Stonis longed to see a greener Cape Coral \u2013 and he made it his life\u2019s mission to see those changes brought to the area.<\/p>\n

Founder of the Cape Coral Beautification Association, and recipient of the Lawrence Enerson National Arbor Day Foundation Award, Stonis celebrated his 100th birthday at the park\u2019s dedication ceremony before passing away at the age of 101.<\/p>\n

The upgraded park includes swing sets for both older and younger children, a dual swing for either a parent and baby or sibling and baby, shaded playground and climbing equipment for older and younger children alike, slides of various heights, and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cCape Coral is growing. And the city is committed to investing in quality of life, especially for our children and our families,\u201d said Melissa Mickey, city Communications and Marketing manager. Safe, modern parks are essential infrastructure just like roads and utilities because they support health, connection, and a strong sense of neighborhood pride. This playground was due for replacement, and this project reflects the city\u2019s promise to reinvest in our established parks and facilities, not just build new ones. This playground will serve not only the immediate neighborhood, but families across Cape Coral who come here to enjoy the tennis and pickleball courts, the walking path, the exercise equipment, and the other amenities, and of course the amazing playground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parks and Recreation Director Joe Patrella is proud of the ADA accessibility features within this playground, which he said are near and dear to him. The park is considered a National Demonstration Site, which means it meets all ADA accessibility features. <\/p>\n

New playground builds within the city will have the same intentions in mind so that people of all abilities can enjoy local parks together without limitations.<\/p>\n

There were plenty of children already making use of the new facilities, including families visiting from out of town.<\/p>\n

The playground, which was installed by SSM, is just one of many upcoming improvements to local parks to offer safety, fun, and a place to make family memories in the area, officials said. <\/p>\n

Joe Stonis park is located at 3444 Ceitus Parkway and is open to the public from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

The playground, which was installed by SSM, is just one of many upcoming improvements to local parks to offer safety, fun, and a place to make family memories in the area, officials said. <\/p>\n


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