Friends Of Morrow Park Plan Cleanup Work Day

Sat., June 14, 1997

By Marny Lombard marnyl@spokesman.com (509) 927-2166

After a 20-minute walk up the hill, Cheryl Olson shakes her head over the beer cans and bottles, the sooty fire ring, the hefty limbs dragged over, ready to burn.

The partiers have been back to Morrow Park.

“I had gathered all that garbage up,” Olson said, “So it would be easy to pick it up.”

Another kind of party is planned for Morrow Park next Saturday. It’s a work day, the first activity planned by the new Friends of Morrow Park. The goal is to take out trees blocking the dirt road to the 40-acre park, to clean up the litter and remove the falling-down picnic shelter.

All is quiet on the hill, except wind whispering through the pines. It’s a lovely spot, with an unparalleled view of Mount Spokane. Some families in the area, southwest of the Bella Vista neighborhood, have used it for decades, for dog walks, picnics, sledding expeditions.

“My kids have gone up there for years,” said Joan Edwards. “Of course, my kids are 45 and 46, now.”

Edwards, who now takes her grandchildren up to the park, said she’ll join the work party.

Olson’s grandfather, Charles Morrow, deeded the 40 acres to the county in 1961 for use as a park. Vandalism and partying are not new problems for the park, which has remained undeveloped. In the 1980s, the county agreed to close the road leading to the park.

But a group like Friends of Morrow Park is crucial, said Wyn Birkenthal, county parks and recreation director.

“This is becoming a pretty good trend, with Fish Lake and the Rimrock all doing the same thing that Friends of Morrow are starting to do,” Birkenthal said.

The county will provide heavy equipment to get up the badly eroded road to haul out the debris.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WANT TO WORK? Volunteers willing to contribute some sweat to the effort to clean up Morrow Park should bring shovels, gloves, rakes, water and something to eat. To get to Morrow Park, take 46th, west from state Highway 27. It turns into Morrow Park Road. Cleanup starts at 8:30 a.m.

This sidebar appeared with the story: WANT TO WORK? Volunteers willing to contribute some sweat to the effort to clean up Morrow Park should bring shovels, gloves, rakes, water and something to eat. To get to Morrow Park, take 46th, west from state Highway 27. It turns into Morrow Park Road. Cleanup starts at 8:30 a.m.