Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Dan Bates / The Herald  (click to enlarge) A Ferguson Park playground in Snohomish is blocked off with warning tape after a car crashed into the play area last month. Other park facilities are closed while the city is making repairs.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, July 1, 2009 Snohomish parks take a hit Repairs are keeping many areas closed By Debra Smith Herald Writer SNOHOMISH -- Shanna Buckles and her three kids arrived at Ferguson Park and found a disappointing sight. The playground was closed and red "danger" tape covered smashed equipment. A woman crashed her car into the play area June 14, crushing the stairway to a giant blue tube slide. The woman put her car in reverse, her flip-flop sandal got caught under the accelerator, her car hit a tree and then crashed into the play area, Snohomish police said. Nobody was hurt, but the crash caused $7,000 in damage. Buckles likes coming to the park because it's less crowded than other city parks. "It makes me sad it happened," said Buckles, who drove to Snohomish from her home on Seattle Hill. "My kids really like playing here." It's a hard summer for Snohomish parks. The playground at Ferguson Park is the second one in the city that will be shutdown for at least part of the summer. The playground at Pilchuck Park has been closed since flood waters damaged it last winter. A popular fishing dock at Hill Park on Blackmans Lake likely won't get fixed until near the end of summer either. The dock at Blackmans Lake is taking longer than expected because it has to go through a permitting process required by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, he said. City staff are doing everything they can to speed up the process. Johnson said the dock would probably be repaired by the end of August. This series of unfortunate events is hitting right when park use countywide is up. Park staff around Snohomish County are reporting bigger crowds this summer as families search for free things to do and take advantage of better-than-average weather. The city plans to fix the playground at Ferguson Park as soon as the insurance claim is settled, said Mike Johnson, the city parks, facility and fleet manager. That will likely take at least a month. As for Pilchuck Park, the city hopes to get $40,000 in federal money to move the playground from near the Pilchuck River to higher ground. This isn't the first time it's flooded. "That playground never should have been put there," Johnson said. Until then, five other city parks offer playgrounds: Hill, Fischer, Morgantown, Claytown and the Averill Youth Complex. Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Tulalip man, 20, charged with baby boy's murder 2. Donated safe gives Marysville museum a mystery 3. Fears over commercial air service at Paine Field dismissed 4. Everett officer charged with manslaughter reveals plan for defense 5. Merchants reject security for downtown Snohomish 6. Holmgren interested in returning to Seahawks 7. Friends open account for orphaned daughters of Highway 9 crash victims 8. Crack That Safe 9. Country singing contestant Chance McKinney amazed by his fans 10. Have M’s, Figgins reached a deal? 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million