ALGOMA (NBC 26) — The downed trees and loose branches at the east entrance of Peterson Park mark the damage left by high winds.
It is a heartbreaking sight by Peggy DeGroot, who has lived next to it since 2019.
"I was devastated," DeGroot said on her reaction to the initial damage. "I was so sad that all the trees were gone and there was so much damage in the park."
That damage included the playground, ball fields and a shed.
The City of Algoma has responded, removing branches across the park.
"Today, they're out in full force," DeGroot said.
Algoma Public Services Director Casey Groessl leads the force. It meant fixing the west half of the park, but also dealing with the tallest task.
"We're basically going to have to cut any damaged tree in this hundred-yard path down," Groessl said when showing the east entrance. "We'll grind it up and make some wood chips out of it."
Groessl says that some parts of the park, like the trails and disc golf, may be permanently unavailable. In a few weeks, they will start a plan for the entrance.
"We'll reevaluate what we can do up here, whether it means planting new trees, or how we're going to go about making it as nice as it was," Groessl said. "But that will take some time."
Groessl expects the park's ball fields to fully reopen on Tuesday, with the entire place welcoming neighbors later this week.
