JEFFERSON COUNTY, N.Y. -- Families who set up camp Sunday at Westcott Beach State Park noticed something missing; something that frequent visitors say the park needs.
"As you look around, there's not a lot for the kids to do," said Carthage resident Vicki Durant. "So they really need to have a playground so that the kids can have things to do and good things to play with."
There used to be playground equipment in two campsites at the park. Over the years, they became old and eventually were torn down. All that remains is a small basketball court and a couple of swings. This will soon change thanks to some state funding.
"Without this funding provided from the governor, this playground might not have happened for several more years," said Mark Spaulding, the Assistant Regional Director of the New York State Parks Thousand Islands Region.
Westcott is one of many state parks that will get new playgrounds under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $2.5 million revitalization plan.
Park officials are hoping that by next spring, there will be new playground equipment in two areas: the plateau camping area and the main camping area. At the main campsite, there will be two sections; one for older kids and one for younger kids.
"There's going to be play structures, some climbing apparatuses, some interactive components to it and it's going to be completely up-to-date with codes and playground surfacing," said Spaulding.
Officials hope that the new playgrounds will draw even more interest to this already popular summer spot. Construction is expected to begin this fall.