Another Reason I Love Port Angeles
One of the reasons I love Port Angeles is the Dream Playground that was built in 2002 by more than 2000 volunteers including Dave and me. We nailed pickets on the fence frames. The design of the playground was something I always found bordering on magical.
Laura Sehn of Play By Design interviewed the schoolchildren and asked them what they wanted in a playground. That concept all by itself is worthy of wonder. Sure, there were the usual items like slides and swings, but the design came from the children’s imaginations. There were lots of nautical and boat influences in the design.
Located on busy Race Street across the street from Civic Field, the playground was easy to find and stood out as one might casually drive around the town. It was safe and inclusive and the design was attractive. Whenever one drove by, it was easy to see children enjoying themselves on the equipment and having a great time. Doing what children love to do.
Dave and I took our grandchildren there when they visited from out of town. In fact, one of those grandchildren presented us with a great grandchild last September, and I confess to imagining the day we could take Luka to the playground.
That is, until last December. That’s when a teenage boy decided to destroy the playground and burned it down. Many of the structures were made of wood so they fueled his fire. My reaction when I drove by and saw the charred remnants was visceral. Things like this didn’t happen in our town, or so I thought.
As horrific as the fire was, I think I wasn’t the only one deeply concerned about a young boy who would do such a thing. That didn’t feel like it fit here.
As it turns out, there were many others who felt some compassion for the boy. Yes, I was angry about it, but I struggled to understand. And I don’t understand yet, but I no longer worry about that. You see, a couple people on the Playground Board (I’m told there is such a thing) have stepped into the life of this troubled boy and are working with him. Yes, he needs to pay a penalty of some form, to face consequences, but he doesn’t belong on the trash heap of refuse.
And that’s not all. The community has rallied once again for the rebuild of the playground. In fact, the fundraising goal was reached fairly quickly so that the Playground Board turned to raising more volunteers for the rebuild than just more money.
The people of Port Angeles didn’t just give money. They gave of their time and tools. Yes, most of the tools used in the rebuild, as was the case in the original build, were loaned to the group by local citizens. So if you couldn’t any longer wield a saw or pound some nails, you could offer up the use of your saw and hammer for another volunteer to use.
Or you could serve in the snack supply group. This is, to me, a huge part of the story of this playground and why it’s on my list of reasons I love Port Angeles.
As the location of the Playground is on one of my usual pathways (a busy street), I happened to drive by the Playground yesterday and was surprised by the progress of the rebuild. It looks even better than it did originally. And it looks like it’s nearly ready for children again. I felt as if a wound had healed and that part of our town will be able to function again.
And that healing was accomplished by the hands and hearts of the people of Port Angeles, those who live here and value this home and wanted that wound healed. So they took action. They raised money and raised a tool to be part of the reconstruction. And soon the sound of construction will be replaced with the laughter and joyful shouts of children at play on their playground. And this soundtrack is another reason I love Port Angeles.