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Dobbins Heights Community Park now has access to free wireless Internet.

That ability puts the park that much closer to winning $100,000 for a face lift.

Township officials say installation of Wi-Fi could help improve Dobbins Heights’ ranking in the Coca-Cola Live Positively Initiative, which provide grant money to improve parks.

As part of the contest, people are being asked to vote for a favorite park. The one with the most votes wins the title of “America’s Favorite Park” and a $100,000 recreation grant.

As of Tuesday morning, the ranking of the Dobbins Heights Community Park was 60. When the park joined the contest, it ranked 1,800 among the parks. The community has until July 15 at midnight to vote.

Dobbins Heights Mayor Antonio Blue said if you visit the website on a computer, your vote will count once, but if you use the app FourSquare from a smartphone while at the park, your vote counts 100 times.

“I tried it on my iPad as soon as they put it up,” said Dobbins Heights Mayor Antonio Blue. “We are coming together. There are people who have iPhones and smartphones but don’t have the Internet connection set up. We want people to vote, but we also want them to utilize the Internet there.”

The Wi-Fi was installed Monday morning by Electronic Service Company. The park at 224 Earle Franklin Drive.

The park’s playground was built a decade before Dobbins Heights became a town. Equipment has dwindled away leaving a slide, two sings and a climber.

According to Blue, people he knows in other states and in the military stationed overseas are voting often and encouraging those they know to vote. Blue said he feels good knowing people around the globe are voting to help Dobbins Heights restore pride in their community.

ESC owner Van Billingsley said his staff of 20 is also voting when they can.

“We are all for doing anything to help kids out,” said Billingsley. “We went and set up a hot spot and just donated it to them so hopefully they will win that $100,000 they want. We are voting as a company. We try to give back to the communities around here.”

The Dobbins Heights Community Park can win $100,000 if they get top rank by the end of the contest. If they end up in within the top 25 ranks, they can win anywhere from $15,000 to $25,000.

To vote, go to www.livepositively.com/parks and locate Dobbins Heights. You can enter the city’s name or find it on a map. Click ‘vote now’ and watch the ranking increase. Participants can vote more than once.

— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.