Children priority over park smokers

Troy Blevins, Director of St. Johns County Parks and Recreation, asked commissioners Tuesday to “consider children first” by posting signs in county park playgrounds asking adults to refrain from smoking — but he stopped short of asking for smoking to be outlawed.

According to Blevins, other counties have had difficulty enforcing similar ordinances, so, he’s hoping that new signs asking smokers to be courteous and refrain from smoking in areas designed for children will be sufficient.

A group of students approached the county with the idea, and Blevins says officials have identified a grant that should cover the cost to manufacture them. Blevins says the signs will go up around playgrounds and ball fields as soon as the grant money is received.

St. Johns County officials stress that they are not changing the county ordinance; the signs simply request people to be courteous.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News archive photograph