Community really came together

Letter to the Editor

Saturday, Nov. 11, 2000, was a day to cherish. I had the pleasure of

being involved in a community project in the city of Carnation. The project is

the “Tolt Town Commons,” a unique partnership involving participation

from businesses, citizens and city government.

On Saturday the 11th, we all came together in a volunteer effort to

construct the park. We had a total of 27 volunteers. It was amazing and

heartwarming to witness.

Everyone worked together like a well-oiled machine! We moved

dirt and gravel in wheelbarrows while Sharon Sampson and

Stephen Schneider of Landscape Design transformed, to our amazement, a

vacant lot into a beautiful city park. With their design, hard work and guidance, it

all came together — a day to remember with joy!

The following list is a small but important tribute to all of those

making it possible:

Landscape design — Stephen Schneider, Sharon Sampson.

City government volunteers — Jim Dorsey, Steve Munson,

Woody Edvalson, Bob Patterson, Bob Gilbertson, Stuart Lisk, Pat Funk

and Linda Jordan.

Citizen volunteers — Curtis Schoen, Laura Pinter, Jessica

Dorsey, Comelia Kimmel, Frank Griffin, Matthew Edvalson, Marcia Anderson,

Don Myers, Bob Workman, Elder Stevens and Elder Grover.

Business volunteers — Legend Trucking, Tom Kent; Carnation

Ace Hardware, Ron and Bob Cox; Rainbow Construction, Paul Jordan;

Progressive Insurance, Greg Vendetti; Dick Zeigler, property

owner/Zeigler Construction; Sandy’s Espresso, Sandy Hansen.

Donations — Landscape Design, park design, backhoe and two

landscape architects (Stephen and Sharon); Nelson Layman Trucking, 15 yards

of gravel and many, many beautiful plants; Blake’s Pizza, supplied six

pizzas and four orders of garlic bread; Traffic Signs Inc., signage;

Carnation Ace Hardware, backhoe, forklift, pressure-treated 2-by-4s, concrete

wheel stops, landscape fabric and stakes, Sandy’s Espresso, split-rail fencing.

Financial contributions — Greg Vendetti, Progressive Insurance;

Bill Osberg, Eastside Valley Pawnbroker; Bill Hollowell, O.W. Hollowell

and Associates; Bob Cox, Carnation Ace Hardware; Isabel Jones, Historical

Society; Yvonne Funderburg, Simply Grand; Don and Gladys Myers;

Sandy Hansen, Sandy’s Espresso; Bill and Graisiela Fratzke, Ixtapa;

Carnation Chamber of Commerce; Dick Zeigler, property owner; Linda and

Ron Groznik, Marble and Tile Craft.

Press and photos — Becky Nixon, Valley View.

Thank you to all involved. A vision became a reality that day.

Working together, we made it happen and it feels great!