Mollie Walsh Park - Skagway, Alaska - 8.24.2017

Ventura Park: Playground In Transition - SE Portland - 8.2.17 and 12.27.17

Between 2007 and 2009, I took photos at Ventura Park and Ventura Park Elementary School. A few months ago, I read that the city-owned portion (Ventura Park itself, not the school playground) was going to be renovated. Sometimes when playgrounds get remodeled, I miss the transition part of it. Luckily, I drive by this park on a weekly basis. Today, what I saw on the site made me want to go home and get my camera. So I did.

In the early years of this photography project, I knew that some of the parks I was visiting would go through major changes in the years to come. It was inevitable. Old playgrounds can deteriorate, be deemed unsafe, or even go up in smoke. And that's partly why I photograph -- to preserve the structures, somehow.

Ventura Park may be the latest victim of Playground Advancement, but I have high hopes that whatever replaces the ol' structure will be even better than the one before. 

Before:

Currently:

Another Update -12.27.17:

The new playground has begun to take shape. Although the majority of it is still fenced off and inaccessible at the moment, I was able to take some photos.

Unfriendly, that.

Up yonder to the right, there's some kind of mod/abstract structure with silver poles and red and blue -- metal? Hard plastic? Couldn't tell from my vantage point. To the right of that is a big hill with rocks on it, and it looks like there might be a slide going down the far side of it. Closer up is an... uh... well, it looks like a rock with metal bars coming out of it. Someone's idea of a horse?

There are metal poles, I'm not sure what for, although they do remind me of the similar wooden poles that used to be at the park.

Beyond them, in the photo above, you can see there's a red bouncy ride or multi-user teeter totter. Looks like 6 people can hang on and bounce around.

This thing is not behind the fence, so I was able to get up close. Fun climbing structure or cleverly disguised rabbit? YOU decide.

I won't lie, this park is really baffling me. The large hill and the use of the "rock" elements suggest they were going for a natural playground. But the abstract metal sculptures are clearly pointing this playground in a different aesthetic direction. This odd mix is usually something you find in an older playground that has gone through gradual changes, ie, the removal/replacement of one element at a time, rather than a total overhaul. Here, there has been a total overhaul, and yet...

Hey, maybe there's still time for it to all come together. I'll wait and see.