By Brian Hoop
Thanks to Rob Lee who secured a $2,000 grant to install a picnic table, and possibly a cement pad for the table, at Kingsley Park. The grant is from Neighbors West Northwest’s Community Grants Program with funding from the City of Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life.
Kingsley Park is where Linnton’s community garden is located at NW 114th and NW St. Helens Rd. The City park was established in 1927. There was a time when it had a bathroom, playground equipment, and it was a magnet for local children playing baseball. The Parks department tore out these amenities over a generation ago and has been reluctant to improve the park ever since. Neighborhood volunteers continue to revitalize the park, nonetheless.
Organizers for this project are in touch with Portland Parks and Recreation about securing funds for the table. However, Parks has not indicated how to proceed with approvals for placing the table.
Lee has been working on improving landscaping at the park since current Linnton Neighborhood Association board member Amy Jauron advocated for directing remaining park project funds from a previous grant to landscaping efforts. Parks had denied her earlier effort to install benches, picnic tables and playground equipment.
His early efforts included clearing invasive flora on the hillside and installing native plantings over the winter of 2022-23. This past winter he and volunteers planted dozens of species of native flowers on the river side of the park entrance, and plan to plant more as it becomes evident what flowers are happy there.