Jamison Square

This is Jamison Square. It has a water feature in the park that families, including Andor and I, flock to on hot summer days. We think its great that the fountain has brought so many Portland families together. It has a few quarks, I explain below, just so you know.

THE GRASS:
The beautiful grass surrounding the brick “bowl” of the fountain is the only dog park for several blocks, and early in the morning, every morning, there are many a designer dog doing their duty in that grass. Just at the start of this year a woman claimed that her dog got giardia from the grass there.

In case you didn’t know, giardia is a parasite that is passed from an animals stool. Because the parasite is protected by an outer shell, it can survive outside the body and in the environment for long periods of time. During the past 2 decades, Giardia infection has become recognized as one of the most common causes of waterborne disease (found in both drinking and recreational water) in humans in the United States . Gross.

So, before you spread your towel out on the grass, consider how many dogs have peed there that morning. Look at the all the ladies with the blankets and towels lounging on the bricks. They live in the Pearl, and they know how many dogs pee in that park. Spread out on the bricks! :]

THE BATHROOMS:
Speaking of pee. There isn’t a public toilet around! Sometimes there are just a zillion kids there and there is no where for them to go. You can grab a cookie or a coffee at Sip N’ Kranz and use the potty, but how many times can you do that? We’re lucky to live right there are we can just bop into the apartment. We’ve seen kids duck into the pine trees and whiz right there next to us! I’m not sure where this issue stands with the city, but there certainly needs to be bathrooms here.  Below is the poor tree that I’ve personally seen many kids use as a toilet.

THE FUN:
There are a lot of kids here sometimes! It really is a fun time. The diversity of the people that come here amazes me every day. Many mommies, many families, from all walks of life come here to have fun! So, if you’re uptight about your clothes getting wet, or, you don’t like the sound of children playing, then don’t come. Seriously. Once, Cyan got his water gun torn out of his hands by some guy because Cyan shot him with it. Seriously, he was standing in the freaking water fountain with three dozen children! What else did he expect. What’s my point? Go there to relax, or go somewhere else or you may hurt some kids feelings.