Jack Pryor

While residents like the idea of having the new Trailhead Park near their homes, many are upset because they feel upkeep at the park has been lacking.

The park is located at 213 David Ave.

Jack and Joann Pryor, who live one street over, said they love to walk for exercise. But, they have noticed dead weeds and uncut grass is some areas of the park.

“We have lived here for five years and are retired from the iron works construction industry,” Jack Pryor said. “The park here is a great idea. It just is not being kept up.”

Joann Cott, a neighbor who walks the park with her dog, agreed.

MEL TOADVINE Lehigh Acres resident Jack Pryor shows dead weeds not being removed from Trailhead Park, near from his home.

“There are places that are not being taken care of,” she said.

Trailhead Park is the beginning of a trail, which leads from the Able Canal to Harns Marsh. Pedestrians use the banks of the canal to walk.

The county should maintain the banks or there should be some type of cooperative effort with the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District.

“In this one area, not far from the entrance, you can see hordes of dead brown weeds all around some of the bushes they planted,” Jack Pryor. “The bushes are not even being trimmed.”

His wife is afraid she could encounter snakes because of the overgrown dead weeds.

Joann Pryor

“I don’t like snakes,” Joann Pryor said.

While the park needs work, Jack Pryor said it is a great park. He likes to walk the quarter of a mile walk-way each day for exercise.

“My neighbors all agree that we like the idea of the park being put there as the start of a long trail across town, but it should be taken care of,” Pryor said.

“Some friends say it is the same way over at Cape Coral,”?he added. “So why not clean them up?”

Pryor noted that the county wants to draw tourists to all parts of Lee, so the parks must be maintained. He said Trailhead is except for some dead overgrowth.

MEL TOADVINE The entrance to Trailhead Park, at 213 David Ave.

“I don’t think they meant for it to be natural since they planted bushes in that area,” he said. “Now you can hardly see them because of the other dead brown brush.”

“I’ve complained to the officials, and they tell me I am not the only one who has call them,” Pryor added.

He said it was the same way when the grounds held the former Admiral Lehigh Golf Resort.

“It was allowed to just grow up, and nobody kept up with it until we all began complaining,” Pryor said. “Then one day, they come out and go through there and try to make it look good.

“But they didn’t do a good job,”?he said. “Just look at it.”

MEL TOADVINE Joann Cott is shown on her way to the park with her dog. She agrees with her neighbors that the park needs some attention.

Pryor also said the land behind one of the new dollar stores is growing up in brush, much of it dead and brown.

“Why did we move to Lehigh?” he asked. “We came for a vacation and liked it so we decided to live here.”

“I’m going to speak my piece when I see the way things are not being taken care of,” Pryor added. “I don’t care. It should be maintained as intended.”