Children enjoying a nice summer day at Friends Landing have all the more reason to celebrate with the pending installation of new playground equipment.

The main playground at Friends Landing, near the boat launch, is aged at more than 20 years old. Bolts are rusting and orange is running in streaks down the sun-bleached plastic. Along stairs to get on top of the jungle gym, the rust has completely erode the paint.

It’s a sad situation, but there’s no need to wallow for any significant length of time — the Port of Grays Harbor (which owns and manages the East County park near Montesano) has received more than $67,000 to replace the equipment.

A new play structure will be purchased. It will feature slides and other standalone features such as new swings and a standalone accessible feature for the 2- through 5-year-old age group, and another for the 5- through 12-year-old age group.

“We are keeping in mind the vision that the park was originally developed to be an outdoor recreational facility that would be accessible for all abilities, so we want to make sure we have accessible playground equipment,” Satsop Business Park manager Alissa Shay said in an email.

The playground also will be moved closer to the parking lot. The Port hopes to install the new playground by the end of summer.

“We are working as quickly as we can to get the project built so that it can still be enjoyed during the nice weather this year,” Shay said.

Donors to the new equipment include Grays Harbor Community Foundation, Kelsey Foundation, Ben B. Cheney Foundation, Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund, Seabrook Community Foundation, The Pasha Group, Sierra Pacific Foundation, PSAP (Puget Sound and Pacific) Railroad and individual donations gathered at the Salmon Run event held in September 2017.

Near the camping area, removed from considerably from the main playground structure, is a set of swings and a “dinosaur slide.” Currently, the swings have been dug out of the ground and the ground around the slide has been unearthed. The Port plans to redo the safety surfacing surrounding the slide, and the swings will either be replaced or moved to the new playground area.

Also this year, the port is continuing regular maintenance and repairs of the trails around Friends Landing.