Dear Liza,
I went for a walk around Laurelhurst the other day between the rains, and there was a lot going on!
These lovely people were working at the horse shoe pits, cleaning up the edges and digging out the mud to make them beautiful and useable for the next season.
They are, left to right, Kimber, Brian, Taylor and Dylan. They all work for the Portland Parks Department, and Dylan works full time at Laurelhurst.
The horse shoe pits are his “Passion Project”, approved and funded by the City, with work done by he and his friends.
There are about ten sets of horse shoe pits, so this is a big job. I am so glad our park has such enthusiastic support!
On my way out of the park, I ran into this fellow sweating at a giant puddle. He was trying to unclog a storm drain, working with a regular household broom and a pick-up stick, neither of which were doing the job very well.
Every time he got a spot draining, a glob of leaves would wash in and stop it up again.
As we chatted, a City truck came by and checked in, and seeing the need, the driver pulled over. He pulled out a fine strong crowbar and, after just a few strokes, got the blockage cleared.
Now the puddle won’t block traffic or make a mess for dogs and bikes.
With our rainy season just picking up speed, these improvements will keep our park in good shape for years to come.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 