The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

It sits on a flat area overlooking the Columbia River at the north end of Coulee Dam and may someday be the site of a development to assist visitors to the area.

The gift to the town by Diane Hartzell, an Anacortes resident, was made last Thursday with a signing ceremony at city hall.

The property was owned by Hartzell's father, Melvin Hartzell, who worked on Grand Coulee Dam in the mid 1930s when the large concrete structure was just starting to take shape.

He had always wanted to build his retirement home on the property, since pleasant memories of his time here followed him the rest of his life. He died before a retirement home on the property could become a reality.

The Hartzells lived in Lake Forest Park, a suburb of Seattle, but they returned to the Coulee Dam area throughout their lifetime.

The land came into the hands of Diane through inheritance and, as she said, "I didn't want to develop the property."

She was here Thursday to sign the property over to the town, but not before she walked it as if to say goodbye to it. You see, she also had an attachment to it.

"I think Mayor Wilder (Greg) will do something good with the property," Diane stated.

Now it can become a fitting memorial to her father and enhance visits to the area by people who come from far and near to take in the Grand Coulee Dam experience.

Not the least of her gift to the town is a number of tools her father used while working here, and some scrapbook material, which is not currently all together. "I know there are some pictures in boxes at Anacortes still," Diane said.

Mayor Wilder, Thursday, was swimming with ideas for the property and will soon come up with a suitable plan.

Hartzell was thrilled to be in the area and was grateful for all the town was doing to make her brief stay pleasant.

According to Wilder, soon, maybe sooner than you would think, some interesting announcements will be made concerning the property.