POULSBO — It was broken. No one knows who did it, but one thing is certain: the city fixed it.

When Poulsbo’s only merry-go-round was knocked out of commission by youthful roughhousing, the families that enjoyed the park were missing something.

However, late last week, crews from the city’s public works department brought it back to life as the damaged parts were repaired and a new concrete base was poured.

Wednesday afternoon found Michael and Justin Bonus giving it a whirl as they enjoyed the unexpected late-October sunshine.

“I think it’s great that it’s fixed,” said 8-year-old Michael as he took a break from pushing his younger brother on the recently repaired piece of equipment.

“It’s just one of those things we do as the public works department,” said Public Works Director Jeff Lincoln with a smile.

Lincoln reported the incident to the council’s public works committee Sept. 28, which expressed its astonishment that such an act had occurred.

Upon hearing the news that the merry-go-round was once again doing its thing, Councilwoman Kathryn Quade said, “It’s great to hear it’s been fixed.”

Even though the repair was unexpected, Councilman Ed Stern, who serves on both the city’s finance/administration committee and community services committee, said the city was prepared for such a situation.

“That’s what our parks department maintains reserves for,” Stern said, noting the Parks and Recreation Director Mary McCluskey has done an admirable job of maintaining those funds.

A certain level of maintenance can be anticipated on a yearly basis, but incidents of vandalism or other unexpected events can’t, so the city has had the long-standing policy of maintaining a parks reserve fund, he said.

“Stuff happens and you have to allow for these things,” Stern said, noting that sometimes the damage may not be covered by insurance or, if it is, the deductible still must be paid.

Each park in the city has its own unique features that sets it apart, including the Master Gardner plot at Raab Park, which also has a dog park, and the merry-go-round at Lions Park, he said.

“Lions Park has always had a lot of equipment for younger children and their families,” he said, noting that some parks are active like Lions and other, like Wilderness Park, offer passive use.

Lions Park was revitalized and refurbished by the Poulsbo Noon Lions Club in 2002. During that time, the merry-go-round was installed along with a number of other playground amenities.