New park to be dedicated at Covered Bridge Celebration

July 26, 2007

The 4th Annual Grays River Covered Bridge Celebration will open on August 4 at 9 a.m. with the Mark Linquist Memorial Walk/Run starting at the Covered Bridge just off State Route 4 in Grays River.

The highlight of the day long festival will be the dedication of the new Ahlberg Park at 11 a.m. at the site where the annual celebration is held each year. The Wahkiakum Community Foundation, sponsors of the event and the Covered Bridge Fund that gives local grants with income from the event, has received funding from the State of Washington to purchase the five acre celebration site on the south end of the bridge. State Representatives Brian Blake and Dean Takko, as well as State Senator Brian Hatfield, sponsored and supported the request for State funds.

Wahkiakum County owns and maintains the bridge itself. The Foundation will now own and maintain the five acre site as a public park open for fishing, picnicking, resting and photographing the bridge itself. The new park is named in memory of the Ahlberg family, early settlers in the area who owned the site originally. Descendants of the family still own property on the north side of the bridge. Nationally recognized local author, Robert Michael (Bob) Pyle, will give a history of the family and the bridge during the park dedication. Having recently published a popular book on the area, "Sky Time in Grays River", Bob is the ideal story teller for this event. He and his wife, Thea, have lived in the historic Ahlberg home, just north of the bridge, for several decades.

The annual celebration will have children's games, food, music, vendors with crafts for sale, and dancing. Bands playing will include the Naselle School's Youth Marimba Band, Quick Release and the Retta Christie Trio. Raffle tickets will be sold for a Covered Bridge quilt, $500 cash, a John Deere bicycle and art by a popular local artist.

There is no cost to attend. For more information or directions to the area, contact Bonnie Linquist, event chair, at (360) 465-2281 or email mblinquist@wwest.com. The Foundation can be reached at (360) 465-2414.