The last few months have been hard for all of us. Our daily lives have been completely altered by the COVID-19 crisis, and many of the plans we had for what turned out to be a mild and pleasant, if slightly rainy, spring had to be abandoned. But somehow through all of this, Wilshire Park managed to be a place where wonderful things were quietly happening. BWNA’s Friends of Wilshire Park committee (FoWP) had a final fundraising push in March, asking Beaumont-Wilshire neighbors (via envelope insert in the March-April issue of the newsletter) to contribute what they could to pay for a replacement playhouse in the toddler area. And guess what? B-W neighbors, along many others in the community who value the park, came through big time. When the fundraiser crossed the finish line, over $20,000 in donations, small and large, had been collected and deposited with the Central Northeast Neighbors (CNN) neighborhood association coalition, which then transferred the funds to Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) for purchase and installment of the new equipment.
The playhouse was installed over the weekend of June 6-7, although it remains fenced off due to playgrounds being off limits to help stop the spread of COVID-19. There was even enough money left over to buy a new riding toy shaped like a rabbit. The playhouse resembles a little cabin and has plenty of gadgets to keep little hands busy and enough space inside for big imaginations. This project is a wonderful example of what happens when a grassroots group of neighbors networks with the neighborhood association system and city government to do some good for the next generation of Portlanders. In particular, CNN provided valuable advice on fundraising and acted as a fiscal sponsor, using its 501(C)(3) status to allow donations to be tax-deductible. Likewise, PP&R showed creativity, flexibility, and support in recognizing how important this project was to the neighborhood and implementing the final plans. A team effort!
But that’s not the only thing that’s been happening. Despite a budget crunch and work furloughs caused by COVID-19, the PP&R staff managed to repair the soft rubber play surface in the toddler area, fix the merry-go-round, install a sign in the NatureSpace identifying the native plants there, and embellish the north side of the park grounds with a variety of beautiful new plants. That’s a lot of work to do when everyone was dealing with reduced work schedules, homeschooling children, and stresses and worries that none of us had just a few months ago. The enhancement effort buoyed spirits: on June 11, someone left a chalk message on the newly repaired rubber play surface reading, “Thank You PDX Parks.”
FoWP thanks those residents of Beaumont-Wilshire, Alameda, Cully, Alberta, and Rose City Park neighborhoods whose donations brought a new, safe playhouse to Wilshire Park that will last until today’s little children are parents themselves. Much appreciation also goes out to the CNN staff—in particular Ronda Johnson, who kept meticulous financial records and provided donors with tax documentation—and to the PP&R staff, with special kudos to Northeast Parks Supervisor Mike Grosso and Project Manager Evan Callahan.
Yes, it was a rough spring for all of us, but the good news is that Wilshire Park is a source of both joy and pride. We look forward to better days to come and enjoying each other’s company in the park—albeit from a safe distance for now.