2020 has sent us murder hornets, COVID, smoke. Now crop circles at Tacoma park?
It’s clearly evidence of intelligent life — an extraterrestrial sign from above. (The truth is out there.)
Or, I suppose, it could be the work of a late-night abstract artist — an unknown Kandinsky of the grass. (My wife rescued me with a decent art reference.)
Perhaps it’s some sort of message about what kind of horror 2020 will bring next — like a cocktail olive conspiracy or a Pac Man invasion?
Maybe it was just the universe trying to distract us, given the current need for something other than smoke-choked skies to worry about.
Yes, there is a legitimate and almost entirely mundane explanation for the circular pattern that has recently emerged in the grass of Tacoma’s Kandle Park, but where’s the fun in that?
As the anonymous Twitter user who brought the irregularity to light earlier this week suggested, it’s probably best to chalk this one up to something more entertaining:
Like “COVID Circles.”
The joy is in the speculation, after all, and according to Metro Parks Tacoma west region maintenance lead Josh Azinger, it’s something he “wouldn’t try to take away from the community.”
“As long as Tacoma is having a good time and finding fun things to do in our parks, we’re doing our jobs,” Azinger said Thursday, with a chuckle.
The only trouble?
Moments early, Azinger had admitted it, almost like he couldn’t help himself: A malfunctioning irrigation system is to blame.
That didn’t mean I was ready to drop it.
‘Aliens’ or ‘an upside down pineapple cake’
All of this came to light this week because you can only really see the odd circles — or appreciate them — from above.
Azinger and much of Metro Parks Tacoma’s staff only became aware of them on Wednesday after an aerial photo was posted to social media.
The MPT Twitter account responded with appropriate haste.
“Interesting. Will send this to our maintenance crew and have them watch out for aliens,” the park district shot back, with one of those worried face emojis that looks like it’s seen a ghost.
Naturally, as a hard-nosed journalist and a seeker of truth, I was intrigued.
As it turns out, the mystery had already been put to Metro Parks staff.
According to MPT public information officer Nancy Johnson, an agency-wide email Wednesday night sought explanations.
Some suggested it was — and I quote — “an upside down pineapple cake,” while others more realistically pointed a finger at “fashion forward turf pests.”
Predictably, at least one Metro Parks employee took it in an optimistic stride.
“After sending a pandemic, murder hornets, hurricanes and devastating fires, Mother Nature decided we could use more art in our lives and sent us crop circles as a sign she still loves us,” the staffer theorized.
The plot thickened.
Kandle is supposed to be green
All Azinger can do is laugh knowingly.
He’s glad people are getting a kick out of the circles, he said, even if the emotion is mixed with a touch of embarrassment.
Azinger oversees crews responsible for the maintenance in Metro Parks’ west region — more than 15 parks in total.
When the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant Metro Parks staff furloughs, the agency was stretched thin and searched for cost-saving measures.
For months now, Azinger said, his crews have been focusing on the bare essentials of keeping parks safe and clean. At most places, luxuries like sprinkler systems have been shut off to conserve water, and park lawns have gone dormant.
In an effort to maintain equitable service, Metro Parks has worked to irrigate one park in every neck of the city, Azinger said.
Kandle is supposed to be one of them, but a tripped “fail safe switch” messed everything up.
Speculating that the malfunction must have occurred in the last couple weeks, Azinger compared the fail safe switch to “a breaker in your house.”
When the switch flipped, the pump system that pressurized Kandle’s irrigation system shut off, he said.
The result is the circular pattern that now adorns the grass.
Case closed, he suggested.
Asked about the situation, Azinger said he’s thankful the issue was brought to his attention — particularly in such an entertaining way.
With resources limited, he’s glad that park users are still engaged and keeping an eye on things.
“It looks pretty cool, but at the same time we’d rather not have it happen,” Azinger said.
Sure, I guess.
But — again— what fun would that be?
