(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The Rotary Club of West Seattle had a delegation on hand this morning as a crew from Artech re-installed the now-restored, repainted totem pole stolen eight months ago from the park they donated to the city 34 years ago. Our as-it-happened coverage of this morning’s operation is here; Christopher Boffoli‘s video compilation shows the key scenes as the pole was returned to its place with the help of a crane:
The official rededication celebration is set for the evening of August 10. Among those on hand this morning: Duane Ruud, who, along with fellow longtime Rotarian Ken Wise, followed a track of clues that helped lead police to the discovery the pole had been taken to Oregon after the November 30th theft. Duane had hoped Ken would be well enough to be on hand to watch today’s reinstallation – while we all watched the operation this morning, he and others kept looking to see if someone might pull up, bringing him to the park – but ultimately he couldn’t (his son Tom is at left in our top photo). We asked Duane about Ken as well as about what it was like to see the pole put back in place today:
As for the future of the 34-year-old pole itself – read ahead for more on that and more photos from this morning’s operation:
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
At left in that photo is Artech’s Roger Waterhouse (a West Seattleite, by the way). He says that if the pole is left to the elements now, it will, within a few years, return to the faded grayish color that it held before it was stolen. At this point, the plan, he says, is for a coat of oil to be applied about once a year to prevent that.
(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
The pole’s artist, Robin Young, was not involved in the restoration, we are told, but may be at the rededication next month. Meantime, the Rotary is talking about ways to improve the often-overlooked (except for the landmark totem pole) park that they donated to the city in 1976 – including the landscaping.
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