ELLA PAUL HONORED DURING STREET LIGHT DEDICATION

by Chris Cook - Forks Forum editor

Many years ago, when the City started the campaign to acquire the decorative street lights, Ella Paul walked into the office and gave the City of Forks one of the first donations.

“She specifically asked that the donation plaque read:  ‘In memory of Clarence O. Brager (her late husband) who worked many hours starting the park, also helped haul the locomotive to it’s site,” said Rod Fleck, City Attorney/Planner for the City of Forks. 

“Well, in talking to Ella then – I explained that we had hopes of putting lights in the park too, but not sure about the train – it needed so much back then,” he said. “I remember her saying something like – work on it Rod, when it happens just make sure the light has that plaque on it.”

Over the decade the park was improved, electrical lines were extended out to the train, a cover was built over the train that Clarence Brager worked on bringing to Forks, and over the past few years the city’s road crew, the state Department of Transportation, the state Department of Natural Resources, the Forks Lions Club and others worked to create a better entrance to the park for vehicles, buses, and the like.

The plaque was finally officially in place on Friday, June 1 and at a casual gathering to mark the event Ella Paul got to see her light.

Funds given by Paul and others were matched by the City Council, and over a dozen lights were eventually paid for. The forest-green street lights are made of cast aluminum by a Texas company, and have custom attachments for hanging celebration signs, flower pots, flags and other decorative items.
Development of Tillicum Park was moved along in the 1950s by long-time county road worker Albert Wasankari. Wasankari began clearing the land in the late 1950s, and worked diligently to remove the thick overgrowth covering the now grassy park land.

Nansen Anderson donated the land for the park.

The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to soon finish landscaping a garden barrier near the street light. Handicapped-accessible picnic tables are also to be added to the area, and a Lions emblem sign is to be placed on basalt columns to commemorate all the work the club has put into Tillicum Park.

Nancy Brager and Sandy Gossler both submitted the name Tillicum (friends) and were co-winners of a name-the-park contest.