Soap Lake woman spurs revitalization effort

Gustaveson and volunteers take on neighborhood remodel project

SOAP LAKE — Linda Gustaveson was not born in Soap Lake, but her passion for the small, rural town is what drove her and other community members to start their own revitalization project.

Prompted by her sister Ronda Lynch to look at remodeling four apartments and two houses across the street from her Soap Lake home, it has taken Gustaveson and other volunteers a year-and -a-half to complete the needed repairs.

The homes hadn't been lived in for at least 20 years. Some were without walls, flooring, counter tops and only left over rotten food and dead birds to show for any recent use they might have had.

"We love Soap Lake so much," Gustaveson said of why she wanted to take on the task.

Rumors that the housing was scheduled to be burned down concerned Gustaveson, who wanted to make sure that didn't happen.

"That would have been a terrible waste," she said. "I just kind of tore in with both hands."

Gustaveson first purchased the property and then began renovations, working 12-hour days even through cold, winter temperatures and in between substitute teaching for the Soap Lake School District. The cold weather days were times when Gustaveson and the other volunteers came ready in hats and mittens.

The repairs — which included new electrical wiring, plumbing, 70 gallons of paint and five truck loads of debris to be hauled off to the dump — cost Gustaveson $50,000 from her own savings and credit cards.

For minor repairs such as painting and hauling off garbage, Gustaveson turned to others in her community such as students or low income and homeless people to whom she would pay a few extra dollars for their help.

Gustaveson looks at the project a way to reach out to area youth and be a role model to them.

Students would pass by every day on their way to school and see the progress the remodels were taking, she said.

'"Oh you have a new tree in there don't you Ms. G?"' Gustaveson recalls students saying as they passed by on their way to school in the morning. "I think they feel a part of making this town a little cleaner."

Now that the renovations are complete, Gustaveson wants others in her Soap Lake community to take action to do what they can to improve their town.

"It's right off of sweat, blood and tears," Gustaveson said of the renovations and making an effort to improve Soap Lake.

Gustaveson and her family first started coming to Soap Lake in 1975 for family vacations and remembers a much more bustling town.

There were more shops, activities and tourists that have since gone away in part because of a higher poverty rate, drugs and other social changes, she said.

From the beautiful sunsets on the lake and healing waters the town has become well known for, Soap Lake holds a special place in Gustaveson's heart that she wants people from other towns to experience.

Soap Lake has much to offer like if people will pull together, Gustaveson said.