Overgrown grass at a Waimanalo park is putting kids at risk during sports practice, and the city says staffing and equipment shortages are to blame.

• Grass has grown hip-high in parts of the park, hiding uneven ground and making it hard for young athletes to see where they're running.
• Coaches and parents say small children have gotten lost from view in the tall grass, and some teams can no longer use certain fields for football and soccer practice at all.
• Frustrated community members have started cutting the grass themselves, but others say that's not their job and the city should be doing it with taxpayer money.
• The city's parks director says her district covers a huge stretch of land from Makapu'u to the North Shore, so crews can only mow every two weeks instead of weekly, worsened by recent staff retirements and a broken mower.
• The city is now asking the community to consider a formal volunteer agreement to help with mowing, an idea some residents call unfair to working parents.

Outlook: Without more staff or equipment, mowing delays are likely to continue, and the city may try to formalize a community mowing partnership in the coming months.