A large crowd gathered for a full-scale celebration at Conner Waterfront Park on Sunday afternoon for the long-awaited re-dedication of the park’s refurbished salmon slide.
Photo by Bill Reynolds/La Conner Community News
Among La Conner’s more popular landmarks, the slide had been closed for more than a year as volunteers John Doyle and Ollie Iversen toiled to smooth and re-finish its interior and exterior surfaces.
La Conner artist Maggie Wilder and La Conner Elementary School student Ika Phillips, 8, joined Doyle and Iversen this past summer in painting the iconic slide, the final project of noted late Pacific Northwest sculptor and poet Tom Jay.
Wilder’s sister, La Conner poet Georgia Johnson, was called upon by Iversen, who served as the Sept. 28 event’s master of ceremonies, to read a poem penned by Jay as part of the brief grand re-opening program.
Swinomish Master Carver Kevin Paul offered a blessing song before Wilder and Phillips handled ribbon-cutting duties.
“It’s great to be part of this, something that benefits the children,” Paul said.
Photo by Bill Reynolds/La Conner Community News
Council member Rick Dole represented the Town during Sunday’s festivities, and joined attendees of all ages in taking a turn down the slide after the ribbon was cut.
Iversen thanked all who were involved in the development of Conner Waterfront Park and placement and maintenance of the slide there.
“This park has wonderful art,” Iversen said. “There’s Ries Niemi’s ramp, the Northwest stone sculpture pieces, and, of course, we have the fish slide built by Tom Jay.”
Those who attended were treated to ice cream donated by Pioneer Market. Several of the kids showed their dexterity by going down the slide while holding ice cream cups in one hand. Two of them, siblings Jonah and Margaret Currie, also sold floral arrangements as folks began heading home.
It was Paul who captured the essence of the celebration.
“I give thanks for this day,” he said, prior to performing his song, which he said was “a blessing to you and the children. I’m thankful for the blessing that’s been bestowed on this land.”
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
