School spirit rocks Granite Falls
Published 11:48 pm Monday, April 5, 2010
GRANITE FALLS — Several seniors at Granite Falls High School wanted to leave a little reminder behind to share their school pride.
They envisioned a permanent fixture, something with visibility and heft, for their two-year-old campus.
They imagined what they call “a spirit rock” that could be painted in orange and black school colors and convey messages supporting their Tiger nation.
What they ended up with was a 37-ton boulder that students hand-picked from the Iron Mountain Quarry just north of town.
“It’s pretty special,” said Steven Moseley, a senior, as he surveyed the new addition that was delivered last week. “It’s exciting.”
Fellow senior Kaitlan Howell was among the trio of students to visit the quarry and hunt around for the right rock.
They searched for one with good flat surfaces.
“We tried to find the biggest one we could,” she said. “I just think it would be a really great thing that everyone can see when they drive by our school.”
Iron Mountain Quarry donated the rock. Menzel Lake Gravel provided the truck to get it to the school and Ness Crane Co. of Seattle lifted it onto the patch of grass near the front of the campus that is its new home.
“It’s kind of a joint effort for the schools,” said Rob Hild of family-owned Menzel Lake Gravel. Hild freed up a truck from Pacific Logging, which he co-owns, to haul the monolith.
“It’ll use a lot of paint,” said Jim Burnett, co-owner of Iron Mountain Quarry.
Most students didn’t know about the rock when they returned Monday from spring break.
Senior Brinn Jones was looking forward to watching their reactions.
“They’re going to be surprised and wonder how it got here,” she said.
Students soon discovered the billboard-like boulder will take a lot of brush strokes.
Senior Jessika Montgomery said it will be worth the extra time because the rock will be an attention grabber.
“It’s just a great gift,” she said.
The seniors wasted no time giving the rock an inaugural coat.
On one side they wrote a thank you to the companies that provided the rock.
On the front in black and orange they wrote “senior power,” Class of 2010 and “BOTC champs” in reference to their win in the school’s annual Battle of the Classes competition. They also painted a large tiger paw.
Howell, who helped pick out the rock, can imagine it will be shared for generations.
“I love Granite Falls,” Howell said. “I want to raise my own family here some day.”
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
