Reprinted from the Valley Record,

Jan. 29, 1981.

Blast Shakes Duvall Folks

Duvall-area residents were shaken last Thursday afternoon when an unexpected explosion disrupted the quiet of the day. The Duvall Fire Department received several calls but when the volunteers responded, they found the cause of the blast to be workmen dynamiting rock at the Coy farm on Cherry Valley Road.

According to Dana Pippin of the department, although the blast was much louder than expected, there were no injuries or damage done other than a broken window in the Coy home.

The farm is located near Cherry Valley Elementary School and the first alarm came from the school whose staff were afraid that an accident had occurred.

Fire Chief Dave Harder said that the workmen had placed a couple of old mattresses over the explosive before setting off the blast in hopes of reducing the sound, but all the effort did was send the mattresses up into the power lines.

“One woman who drove by immediately after came into town and told people that it must have been pretty bad since there were beds and stuff all over,” Harder said with a smile. Reports that windows in the school were blown out are false, he added.