By Sally Jacky, Harlock Place Park Chair
To freshen the Steilacoom Harlock Place Park path on Galloway Street, on Thursday, April 21, eight yards of cedar playground chips donated by Kris Kauffman were delivered to the open space pocket park.
On Saturday, April 23, in about 1 1/2 hours, twelve men and women volunteers loaded the chips into wheelbarrows, dumped piles onto the existing trail, and spread the chips about three inches deep. Helpers included persons from the immediate neighborhood: almost 9-year-old Seth, a neighbor boy and Noah’s and Amy’s son; Joe, next door neighbor to the park; and Russ and his almost-two-year-old son, Ben, and three-year-old son, Owen.
Others included Sara, David, and teen-aged daughter, Caitlyn, and her friend, Akylah, from Shannon Street; Sieglinde from Rigney Street; Alex from Sequalish Street; Milt and Sally from Commercial Street; and DZ from Martin Street. Eight persons stayed and removed invasive plants including borage, a very invasive blue-flowered plant, tansy ragwort, Himalayan blackberry vines, nettles, sticky bedstraw, and dandelions. Four of us remained longer to remove branches that had fallen in the winter. Thank you, volunteers, for enthusiastically helping maintain our town park.
Spring growth was (and is) breathtaking. The hawthorn tree at the left side of the path entrance was covered with white blossoms. On the right side of the path, honeysuckle was intertwined with a hazelnut tree. Native blackberries were blooming as were native wild roses. Nettles were growing tall and had tassels. Indian plum young trees were growing. The two thriving Douglas fir seedlings that were transplanted last winter had new needle growth.
Visit our park. Stand quietly on the trail and see and hear the birds. Revel in sights of the blossoms and new growth of native plants, bushes, and trees.
