Volunteers revitalize Kenai scout park

Kenai’s Erik Hansen Scout Park, located in Old Town and overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River, is getting a face-lift this week as a group of volunteers joined the City of Kenai to replace the pathway, garden bed and more.

Tyler Best, director of Kenai’s parks and recreation department, said Wednesday that the Hansen family has a long history in Kenai. Dr. Peter Hansen and his wife, Karolee, donated the land for the park on Mission Avenue in 1997, for an Eagle Scout project in honor of their late son, Erik Hansen, himself a scout.

The project was driven by Coldstream Wealth Management. Lead advisor Jim Moore said the Hansen family is a longtime client, and that’s why Coldstream got involved with the family in revitalizing the space this week after hearing that it had become “disheveled.”

“We offered to volunteer our time and get it back to where it needs to be.”

On Wednesday, a large group including members of Hansen’s family, Scout Troop 669, staff from Coldstream and staff from parks and recreation dug up the pathways through the park and replaced the borders for the trail. Best said that was necessary because plants had been growing up through the path.

The group also installed a giant fishing line rope as a new outer fence for the park. Moore said the fishing line was donated by someone from the fishing industry and then shipped through donation from Lynden Transport.

Best said work will continue as the scouts lead a reconstruction of the flowerbed. He said a picnic table may also be added.

Moore said a major remaining priority is installation of a plaque below the scout statue that defines the park. He said he had heard from other community members that people don’t understand the history of the park or the significance of the scout statue — one of only a small number in the country.

Language has been drafted for the plaque, Moore said, but it may be late in the summer before it can be acquired and mounted.

Many of Kenai’s parks, Best said, are built and supported by community efforts. He credited Coldstream for driving work on the revitalization project and giving the park some needed attention.

“This would have taken the parks department a whole summer, if not multiple, to do,” he said. “It’s going to look better than it has in years.”

For more information about Erik Hansen Scout Park, visit kenai.city/parksrec.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.