Statue honors those who serve youth, community

A bronze sculpture recognizing the contributions of Scouting in Spokane now stands near the north end of the Monroe Street Bridge after a three-year campaign to finance its casting.

The statue was placed a little more than a week ago at the edge of Veterans Court in Riverfront Park, a few steps from the bridge.

It will be formally dedicated Saturday at 10 a.m.

The bronze was given to the city as a community service of Troop 325 and the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts.

“It’s really meant to recognize those who lead youth,” said Tim McCandless, executive director of the council.

Saturday’s dedication also will serve as a kickoff for a celebration of 100 years of Scouting in America, he said.

The 7-foot-plus statue shows two Scouts in uniform with the older of the two pointing to imply the sharing of knowledge. The sculptor captured details such as belts, patches and kerchiefs of the Scouts as well as an older-style canteen.

The history of the artwork dates back years.

Acclaimed artist and former Inland Northwest resident Debra Copenhaver-Fellows created a 14-inch statuette of the two Scouts in the early 1980s to be used as a recognition gift to major national donors to Scouting.

At the time, Copenhaver-Fellows used Scouts from Troop 325 as her models. They were led by her scoutmaster stepfather, Dean Dinnison, of the Spokane area, who died a year ago at 85.

The artist’s other works include the Vietnam veterans memorial in Riverfront Park, Bing Crosby statue at Gonzaga University and Korean War veterans memorial at the Capitol in Olympia.

After Dinnison stepped down as scoutmaster a few years ago, troop members launched an effort to have the statuette remade into a full-size bronze, a longtime dream of the artist.

Dinnison’s successor, Scoutmaster Dale Johnson, headed a $125,000 “Footsteps to the Future” fund drive.

The statue overlooks the Spokane Falls.

Expect delays on I-90

Motorists traveling on Interstate 90 between Easton and Cle Elum should prepare for delays of up to two hours because of pavement repair work.

One reader reported a 50-mile backup during a trip to Seattle last weekend. She also said she encountered a three-hour delay eastbound from Seattle on Sunday evening.

The state Department of Transportation said it waited until after Labor Day to close a portion of the interstate for the work, which will last until November and then resume next spring. Completion is expected in July.

The freeway is being reduced from two lanes to one in each direction Sunday nights through Friday mornings. On weekends, a third lane is being opened for peak traffic, allowing two lanes eastbound Friday through Sunday mornings and two lanes westbound Sunday mornings through evenings.

Eastern Washington travelers heading west for the weekend are not getting the extra lane.

The agency last week said delays have been one to two hours westbound between 2 and 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and two hours eastbound on Sundays from noon to 9 p.m.

The project will replace the right-hand lane and shoulder in the westbound direction because the pavement is severely deteriorated. In addition, concrete panels in the westbound left lane are being replaced, and the remaining westbound pavement will get a grinding to smooth it.

The $21 million project is included in the federal economic stimulus funding.