Easter fun comes to Maywood Park

While it’s not in an outer East Portland neighborhood – as residents are quick to point out – look at how the City of Maywood Park celebrates Easter …

With the number of colorful plastic Easter Eggs strewn on the lawn behind him, it appears if the Maywood Park Easter Bunny (and his helpers) have been busy!

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

On the bluff high above I-205 and the Banfield Freeway, and bounded by Portland’s Parkrose, Parkrose Heights, and Woodland Park neighborhoods, residents of the independent City of Maywood Park remain proud of the town that surrounds them.

Part of the heritage of residents abiding in this wooded 109-acre “city within a city” are their annual celebrations: A city-wide garage sale, the Independence Day Celebration – and the Easter Egg Hunt, held this year on the morning of March 31.

After being the lead organizer of their Easter event for years, Patty Meighen told us she turned over the volunteer opportunity – and bushels of colorful plastic egg shells – to co-organizers Sarah Castor and Bonnie Davey this year.

Co-volunteer Easter Egg Hunt coordinators Sarah Castor and Bonnie Davey show some of the prizes kids who find a “lucky gold coin” in one of their eggs are to win.

“I have lived here in the City of Maywood Park for 10 years; and Bonnie is a relative newcomer, having lived here for only three years,” smiled Sarah Castor.

“We stepped up because we wanted to see this grand event continue,” Castor told East Portland News. “Especially after the long, dark winter months, our annual Easter Egg Hunt is a great way to get to meet people, and renew friendships with neighbors. It’s an event that signals that springtime is not that far away!”

Off they go, as the Maywood Park Annual Easter Egg Hunt begins.

Co-organizer Bonnie Davey said that several neighbors got together for an “egg-stuffing party”, filling as many as 6,000 plastic eggs with candy, toys, and golden coins which the kids can redeem for prizes.

Clara Phenis pauses during the hunt as her mom, Kristine Phenis, helps her find eggs.

Along NE Maywood Place, older kids hunt for eggs and prizes on the City of Maywood Park’s berm.

At the appointed time, Castor and Davey counted down to the beginning of the hunt. Kids headed off into one of the three age-designated areas – the back yard and side yard of a neighbor’s home, and the berm on the west edge of the city.

Within about ten minutes, the eggs had all been scooped up and parents were helping their kids open the eggs, retrieve the prizes, and then turn in the empty eggs for next year’s hunt.

Opening their Easter Eggs are Amanda Kotsovos, Henry Barrios, and John Barrios.

Something not often seen at other egg hunts – the organizing committee prepared many bags filled with non-edible prizes: Small toys for children who cannot have the sugar, or whose parents prefer that they have a non-edible gift.

Amazingly, some youngsters willingly traded their candy for the bag of toys! “We do all we can to make this a safe, fun, and memorable event for our neighbors,” Castor reflected.

Judging by the abundance of smiles, giggles and laughter, it appears they again succeeded.

With a basket of eggs, loaded so heavily, Emily Durow looks pleased with the results of her hunt.

>> On our Front Page: Wearing her bunny ears, Tenley Williams examines an egg she’s just found during the 2018 Maywood Park Easter Egg Hunt.

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