Salem area residents using trucks, car trunks, and trailers, hauled debris from a weekend ice storm to collection sites around the city Wednesday, Feb. 17 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
Two days after Salem opened four parks for debris drop off, it’s already seeing hundreds of loads of trees and branches at each site.
Woodmansee Park is by far the most utilized, receiving 505 trailer loads of debris.
Wallace Marine Park saw 270 loads, Geer Park saw 279 and McKay Park 226.
The drop off sites are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The parks are:
Woodmansee Park – 4629 Sunnyside Rd. S.E.
Wallace Marine Park – 200 Glen Creek Rd. N.W.
Geer Park – 241 Geer Dr. N.E.
McKay Park – 2755 Hollywood Dr. N.E.
Other locations for debris drop off around Marion County are posted on the posted on the county website.
The city has 11 crews from two different tree contractors to aid city workers in cleaning up streets and fixing damage at city parks.
Minto Brown Island Park will be closed at least through the weekend because of downed power lines and extensive tree damage, said Emily DuPlessis-Enders, city spokeswoman.
“The rest of our park system is scattered with woody debris, making pathways unusable and playground equipment hard to reach,” the city wrote on its website.
City crews are also street sweeping to remove rock applied during the ice storm to keep storm drains accessible.
-Saphara Harrell
