Bend Parks and Rec Board gets project tour

(Update: Adding link to more details of projects online)

The Bend Park and Recreation District got a chance Wednesday to show off its progress on this year’s projects to the district board, candidates running for office and budget committee members. It’s a once-a-year event that lets the board get out and see what capital projects the district is working on.

From all accounts, the day was a success.

“I think people really enjoy being able to get out on the ground and see the actual projects, and understand what they really look like,” Parks and Services Director Michelle Healy said. “And it’s fun also for everybody to have a chance to interact and really understand what we’re trying to do and the reasons behind why we’re doing them.”

There was one park that struck the group as especially creative and resourceful, and the park services director agreed.

“Rockridge Park is my favorite,” Healy said. “It’s a really unique setting, up by Lava Ridge (Elementary) and Skyview (middle schools). It’s going to be a very different park, and it was really exciting to see how it’s evolving.”

It has a little forest made out of juniper trees from on site, and it’s littered with ‘talk tubes’ — essentially giving the trees a voice of their own.

It was an all-day event, starting with a 90-minute presentation on the projects at 8:30 a.m. and ending around 3 p.m.

Other than Rockridge, the places on Wednesday’s itinerary were Eagle Neighborhood Park, Canal Row Neighborhood Park, Miller’s Landing, Pacific Crest, Juniper Community Park, Stone Creek Neighborhood Park, and the Central Oregon Irrigation District Trail.

For details on locations and status of these and other park district projects, a map and list are available here: http://www.bendparksandrec.org/current_projects/project-map/