REDMOND, OR -- Redmond city crews will remove several old buildings from Sam Johnson Park, this week, because they are no longer considered structurally sound. Parks Division officials say they are taking steps to preserve nearby shade trees, and the area will eventually be converted into usable open space. 

The buildings were owned and donated to the city by State Senator Betsy Johnson, the daughter of Sam Johnson who was a seven term State Representative and Redmond’s Mayor in the early 1980s. She says her parents would've been honored to see the park become an iconic feature, including an all-abilities playground, concert space and walking trails, "Although it's named for my family, it is truly the community's park."