Harmon Park boat removed
Bend Park and Recreation District removed a memorable piece of playground equipment at Harmon Park this week. The boat had been a fixture in the park for decades and was recently fenced off for evaluation by staff.
“The old boat at Harmon is beloved by community members and our staff, so we know this is disappointing,” said Michelle Healy, BPRD executive director. “The boat was repurposed from the start and was showing its age and years of use, which doesn’t meet standards for modern playgrounds.”
The boat at Harmon Park playground has been in use for more than 50 years. In 1974, park district employee Ken Lehto repurposed a lifeboat and converted it into the play tugboat structure. The boat was named PS Happy Harmon by 10-year-old Tim Carpenter who won a naming contest.
Multiple generations of children enjoyed playing on the structure; however, the boat has reached the end of its life. It does not meet current playground standards and has chipping paint, rust and exposed metal that gets very hot.
BPRD staff inspect all playgrounds including Harmon Park regularly. They were made aware of concerns related to heat on the metal and the condition of the surface paint, so additional evaluation was completed. Staff researched options and the decision was made to remove the boat, which is one of several pieces of playground equipment at the park. All other play features will continue to be available at the park.
“We wish to continue welcoming families to enjoy the playground at Harmon Park,” added Healy.
BPRD has 47 playgrounds across the community for a variety of play options and features. Last year, Harmon Park had approximately 40,000 visits last year according to data collected.
A park locator is available on the park district website.
