Insofar as Salem has a "river" it also has a "Riverfront". Here,
you'll find grass. Here, you'll find frightening false horses.
Here, you'll find an acid-ball-turned-"Eco-Sphere".
Here, you'll find comedy.
Your Riverfront Park...in convienent map-form!
..
...and your Riverfront Park...in convienent REAL form! In the
background, you can spy the Boise-Cascade plant that
still calls downtown Salem home. Idyllic, no? That blue
thing in the back-right is the famed "Eco-Ball". More on
that thing later.


Just to prove that this is a RIVERfront
park, the city has lovingly provided a
sign....


Ahhh...the lovely and scenic Willamette River. So pristine... So full of life...
...green, glowing, three-eyed life...

This is the ampitheatre-thingy. The intention was to have year-round
music and events come from here. They forgot that this is Salem, OREGON.
You're lucky to find duck walking across this stage.

...more nessesary than you'll want to know....

This is the Willamette Queen. In Portland or Eugene, that could mean a
number of things. Here, it's just a riverboat.

ECO-BALL!!!
This little nugget of joy was once a big black ball on a stick known as the
Acid Ball. Boise-Cascade used it to store caustic chemicals for
their plant here. They donated the thing to the city in a big fanfare.

Lucky us.

Naturally, to show that Salem is a "diverse" and "caring" community,
the city decided to paint the thing and call it the "Eco-Ball".
Ugh. I have no quarrel against people caring about something
but a better use of this ugly beast would have been to knock it
down in favor of another (or larger) playground...

...or a wee indian casino. Oregon needs more of them.

"Salem Cares. We Have an ECO-BALL and Everything!"

For cheap, too!

This stuff just writes itself sometimes.

This is the Salem Riverfront Carousel
You only WISH it moved this fast...

YYYEEEGGHHH!!!!
Meet Bondo. The face of evil.

Yep. That's me. Keep moving along...

No horsing around! I'm outta here!


Naturally, a park this stunning wouldn't be possible without
the brick people. These are the kind folks that coughed up dough to
have their message to the future generations of Salem
immortalized in brick. It's bricks like these that really make me
think that Salem is a "special" city... (as much as education
can be made "special" too - if you catch my drift)

...and science and technology!
Salem! City! On! The! Move!

Frown often.
People will leave you the hell alone.

Yea? Well, Bog Brothers rock harder!

Ruth E. Peterson. Role model.

That's right! Our bricks have 'tude!

This means you. punk!

My favorite. I don't know why.

disklandia@comcast.net
©2003 Brent M. Diskin