West Seattle Stolen Totem Pole is Back--and Bolted Down
Courtesy of Rotary Club of West Seattle
A bizarre chapter in West Seattle's totem pole-related history has at last come to a close.
The Seattle Times says 34-year-old iconic totem pole stolen from Rotary Viewpoint Park last fall returned to its proper perch Wednesday--with the help of some ground-down bolts to discourage future theft.
In lieu of criminal charges, the 70-year-old West Seattle man accused of pole theft agreed to pay $17,000 to restore the 18-foot talisman...since it was already taken down from its pedestal and all. The Rotary Club of West Seattle commissioned the pole in 1976. It's now free of moss and wood-loving creepy crawlers and received a colorful coat of paint from local art restoration company Artech.
Not surprisingly, West Seattle Blog has covered the hell out of this bizarre saga, from the pole's surprise departure via hired towing crew to its reappearance outside Salem, Oregon.
The official dedication is set for August 10.
