Soap Lake sundial dedicated

SOAP LAKE — Hot, sunny weather bathed what’s being touted as “The World’s First Human Figure Sundial,” during its dedication in Soap Lake before an estimated 400 people Saturday.

The ceremony at the city’s East Beach Park was a culmination of 15 years of work by volunteers from the Soap Lake Garden Club.

The goal of the $500,000 project was to create something lasting for the world, not for one single person or group, explained Raymond Gravelle, the club’s sculpture project manager.

The project will also bring attention to the “healing waters” of Soap Lake, drawing people from all over the world, he said.

Soap Lake has long been known for its “healing waters” because of the high mineral content in the lake, which attracted World War I soldiers to the area seeking a cure for Buerger’s disease.

The area was also known as a mineral spa during the end of the 1800s, according to Soap Lake’s Web site.

Saturday was a day of celebration and a day of reconciliation.

It was the first time the Colville Confederated Tribes participated in a city event since they were asked not to return in the 1960s, Gravelle said

Gravelle said they were thrown out of town because of rowdiness and unruliness, but there are many stories about what transpired.

“They told me they felt so welcome as a result of this event,” Gravelle said during an interview. “I really think that 30-year reconciliation was the highlight of what happened.”

Deb Louie, of the Colville Confederated Tribes, said he didn’t know the reason why and remembered visiting the area as a child.

Louie also recalled being asked by an old woman to fill jugs of Soap Lake water to take home.

Being young, he didn’t ask the significance of the action, but learned the tribes used the water for certain things, he said.

Today, Louie said he thinks they can bring people together to Soap Lake once more by working in conjunction with the tribes.

Project artist David Govedare, of Chewelah, Wash., said he was “grateful the tribe has come here to acknowledge this. There’s no words to express that. We’re glad you’re back.”

During the ceremony’s invocation, garden club member Diana McAlister said the project created the development of new ties where acquaintances became friends.

“This project has truly been about healing,” McAlister said.

During his speech, Gravelle said the garden club decided to place the Colville’s seal on the sundial plaza to acknowledge they were there first.

He also spoke of the hard work involved, with hundreds of volunteers donating thousands of hours.

“The club has been working on this for 15 years,” Gravelle said. “That’s what I call perseverance.”

Area historian Dr. Robert H. Ruby, a former doctor at McKay Memorial Hospital in Soap Lake, also spoke.

Ruby said the lake is matchless, unequal to any lake in the world. The water was used to treat vascular problems, he said.

Garden club secretary June Webb headed a time capsule committee and spoke of items included in it, including old and current newspapers, books about neighbors’ lives, a JCPenney catalogue,  Cabela’s catalogue, McDonald’s toys, flowers and vegetable seeds, pictures of the president and governor, and CD’s about the building of the area’s dams.

The time capsule was buried before the new walk to the sundial plaza was poured last week.

Webb said it’s her understanding the time capsule can be retrieved by digging from the side, so the walk isn’t damaged.

Taylor Wentworth, 10, of Soap Lake, was appointed to open the time capsule in 50 years, she said.

George Sharp, of the state Community, Trade and Economic Development Council, spoke of the tenacity of Gravelle, garden club officers Dorothy Downing and Stella Easton and the entire club.

Soap Lake Mayor Wayne Hovde read a proclamation about the completed project.

In the audience, Loren Glandon, of Brewster, Wash., said he and his wife Angela were camping in Soap Lake and decided to attend the ceremony.

Tammy Graham, of Hillsboro, Ore., said the names of her boyfriend’s grandmother and two uncles are printed on sundial plaza stones. Her boyfriend’s relatives live in Soap Lake.

Graham said they saw the statue on Friday before it was finished.

“It’s very beautiful,” Graham commented.

Jim Conklin, of Soap Lake, said he believes the sundial is one of the best things to happen in Soap Lake in the 41 years he’s been there.

“There’s been a lot of potential things happen in Soap Lake and most never came to be,” Conklin says. “The garden club did a tremendous job of putting this together and coming up with the money to do it.”

Rita Mayrant, of Ephrata, said she used to work as an registered nurse at McKay Memorial Hospital. Lake water was piped into the facility and she remembers a former hospital administer allowing people to take baths there for free, she said.

Mayrant said she was “amazed” the statue came together.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Mayrant added.

Leslie Hovland, of Ephrata, said she was just “happy to be here” and called the sundial a “positive thing for Soap Lake.”

Gravelle said the garden club still needs $25,000 to pay vendors.

Name stones near the plaza are available for sale. For more information, call 509-771-0027, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, or go online to visit soaplakememorialstones.com/.

The Soap Lake Garden Club’s officers are: Stella Easton, president, Lorraine Miller, vice-president, Dorothy Downing, treasurer, June Webb and Becky Chase, secretary and Raymond Gravelle, sculpture project manager. 

Other members are Margaret Atchison, Gina Bernett, Martha Cantrell, Becky Chase, Neva Cookson, Cheri Corriel, Randy Downing, Howard Durand, Mary Durand, Jan Fread (in memory), Elena Freeman, Keith Hagglund, Eleanor Haner, Debra Helfrich, Vern Hinkel, Sherril Hopkins, Audrey Hoskin, Mona Kaiser, Barbara King (in memory), Gary King, Bill Loan, Laurette Lyerly, Diana McAlister, Nancy McLauchlan, Doris Merrithew, Velma Mills, Kitty Mossey, Grayce Peterson, Freida Sebok, Nick Sebok, Ann Shirley, Gen Underwood, Jerry Vermeire, Kathleen Q. Vermeire, and Nancy Waller.

Those involved with construction were: MACNAK Construction (Caleb McNamara, Cody Crawford, Adam Davis), AAA Ready Mix, Allstate Electric, Chinook Lumber, Complete Stone of Dolores, Colo. (Nate Hicks, Keoki Zwicker), Grant County PUD, Columbia Basin Job Corps (Scott Olson, Sam Prince, Scott Sewell), Haworth Family Shows, Dave Mishalanie, Rick Keating, George Shutt, Randy and Katherine Downing, Mike Silvers/A-1 Supply, Tommer Construction, Waltho Construction, Young’s Welding and K & S Basalt (Keith Young, Barry Williams, Ron Green), Roger Bailey (WalkingShadows.info) and Darrin Fronsman and Soap Lake city crew.