An anniversary? A birthday? It was definitely a celebration at Moran State Park last weekend

||| BY MINOR LILE, theORCASONIAN REPORTER |||

Did you know that …

• The land that we now think of as Moran State Park was brought into the State park system on June 18, 1921, making this year the 100th anniversary (or is it a birthday?) of this well-loved park.
• That in addition to building the mansion at Rosario and gifting the land that is now the State Park, Robert Moran was also the mayor of Seattle from 1888-1892, a period that included both the 1889 great Seattle fire and the induction of Washington as the 42nd State in the union.
• The just completed visitor’s center was built with lumber that was milled locally from trees in the park that were toppled by a winter storm in 2019.

All of this and more was shared at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the new visitor’s center at the summit of Mt. Constitution that on Friday, June 18. Attendance at the event was limited due to Covid restrictions.

Sandi Talt (Friends of Moran) and State Parks Director Pete Mayer cut the ribbon

Speakers at the ceremony included State Representatives Alex Ramel and Debra Lekanoff, Mike Lattimer, the Chair of the WA ST Parks and Recreation Commission, State Parks Director Pete Mayer, and Friends of Moran State Park representative Sandi Talt, and State Parks exhibit development coordinator Sam Wotipka. Local historian and Rosario General Manager Christopher Peacock served as MC and shared several interesting historical vignettes in the interludes between each of the speakers. Musical accompaniment was provided by Carolyn Caruso playing a hammered dulcimer and Evelyn Zeller & Nels Magelssen on alpenhorns. The program was also attended by County Council members Jamie Stephens and Christine Minney, County manager Mike Thomas and Environmental Resources division manager Kendra Smith.

In his introductory remarks, Peacock raised the question of whether this 100-year milestone should be recognized as a birthday or an anniversary. State Representative Lekanoff concluded her remarks moments later by offering the thought that it was not only a birthday and an anniversary for the park, it was also an opportunity for celebration of those who have called this island home since time immemorial as well as all those who have helped to sustain the park and its natural beauty in this time.

Sandi Talt described how the new visitors center at the summit of Mt. Constitution was built with  the trees that came down the 2019 winter storm. With funding from the Orcas Island Community Foundation and support from State Parks, the fallen trees were transported to West Sound and milled at West Sound Lumber Company.

Both Talt and State Parks Director Pete Mayer expressed their appreciation to Rolf Eriksen and Carla Stanley for their dedication to the park and their work on the new visitor’s center. Eriksen served as lead contractor and builder for the project. Stanley was also deeply involved in the construction process. Both have been instrumental in an array of projects and activities at the summit for many years.

The ribbon-cutting kicks off a summer long series of programs and 100th year festivities. These include a series of 16 Walk and Talk programs exploring a wide variety of topics, as well as four summer concerts.