By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — The local Lions Club leapt at the chance to take charge of the playground project at the Naples Town Beach.

Naples Lions Club member Carol Thompson talked about the group’s plans to add an improvement for local children to the Town Beach, also known as Kent’s Landing.

She spoke about the club’s upcoming Legacy Project at the end of the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday.

Before she had finished her pitch, town officials were willing to hand over the tools and the instruction manual to the local club.

“We wanted to put up a swing or a swing set on the beach so kids wouldn’t have to cross the road to go to the playground,” Thompson said.

At first, her request was met with laughter. That is because the town purchased used playground equipment from a former campground owner when Derik Goodine was still town manager. Since that time about four years ago, the playground equipment sat idle until last autumn, when selectmen volunteered time from their busy schedules to take it apart and move it into storage.

“It’s already in the plans,” Chairman Bob Caron II told Thompson.

She asked about the size of the playground equipment that the town already owns.

“About 25 pieces,” Selectman Dana Watson said.

Thompson nodded.

“Our intention is to have a plaque that says the Naples Lions Club on it,” she said.

Caron said putting the plaque up wouldn’t be a problem.

“If this is something that the Lions want to tackle, then get together with the town manager,” Caron said.

Paraschak, who had already talked with Thompson about the Lions’ Legacy Project, agreed to assist in the future as well.

“We’ll help,” Paraschak said. “We aren’t going to hide the instructions and throw it down there for you to put together.”

When the playground equipment was taken apart last year, the manual had been misplaced and after some confusion, the instructions for assembly surfaced.