Pier dedicated Balloons were released as a ribbon cutting ceremony was held Sunday at Dower Lake. The children of Dallas Sams - Seth, Jordan, Stacia and Mitchell - were on hand to cut a ribbon officially opening the new Dower Lake pier. A granite monument next to the pier bears a likeness of the former state senator who was instrumental in securing funding for the project prior to his death in early 2007. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford)

The weather cooperated on Sunday to make the dedication of the new Dower Lake pier to the memory of Dallas Sams a very memorable event.

Perhaps as many as 500 people turned out for the day's various events, from the dedication program, to the fishing contest, to an old fashioned family picnic or for the afternoon's softball games and other activities.

It was hard to tell who was happier - Kevin Grondahl, who put the program together, or ten- year-old Amy Lockli, who caught a 19-inch northern to win first place in her age category.

It was the culmination of a very long effort for Grondahl, the Parks and Recreation director for the city of Staples. "I guess you might say that I've been a little obsessed over this for the past several years," he said in his remarks to a crowd gathered in the shade of the large trees near the entrance to the city park at Dower Lake.

On the lake Taking advantage of the Dower Lake pier and a sunny afternoon, Wally and Shirley Thompson (partly hidden) visited with Rick Krueger, former resident and former state representative and with Merle Kupitz, (right). Krueger was one of several speakers at the Sunday afternoon dedication program for the new pier. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford)

He recalled how he first began talking to the late state senator in the 1990s. He gave a short history of their joint effort to obtain funding for the refurbishing of the seriously deteriorating fishing pier that dates back over 100 years. It was first built by the Northern Pacific Railway and used as part of their system for pumping enormous amounts of water some 2-1/2 miles to their water tower located in the rail yards. The water was used in the railroad's steam engines and in the railroad's other facilities such as the steam heating plant.

Juggler Dave Johnson, Director for Kinship of Todd- Wadena Counties (youth mentoring program) juggled some balls while waterskiing on Dower Lake June 14, prior to the Pier Dedication event. There are only a few in the world that have been known (and documented) to do this skill/routine on water-skis, Dave said, adding that he wanted to do it last Sunday to promote Kinship. "We had to be creative in finding a way to promote the enormous need for people in this community to come forward and mentor a child," Dave said. Pictured below, Cody and his mentor Don Landecker cheered Dave on from the boat, waving a Kinship banner (not visible).

Sams worked on funding in several sessions of the Legislature prior to successfully getting it passed in the 2005 session. Planning and designing took more local pushing and prodding, work that was still ongoing when Sams died early in 2007.

The 600-foot long pier, termed the longest fishing pier in Minnesota according to Grondahl, was built over the summer of 2008 by Sheral's Construction Company of Finlayson. It is essentially a new pier, built over the remains of the original.

Dower Lake pier People walked out on the 600-foot-long Dower Lake pier, took time to fish, or just went for a sight seeing stroll on Sunday afternoon. Staples volunteer firemen, using their aerial ladder truck, snapped pictures from about 70 feet up. (Submitted photo by Don Brusewitz)

Grondahl's efforts were not unnoticed. Mayor Chris Etzler, who followed him at the podium, added Grondahl's name to a long list of people needing to be thanked. "If not for his hard work and persistence, we wouldn't have this pier here today."

Other speakers included Rick Krueger, and Dennis Ozment, both former state legislators who served with Sams, Krueger as the Staples area state representative. Also on the program were Kent Skaar, representing the Minnesota DNR, and Pastor Roy Miles of the Staples Assembly of God Church.

Both Krueger and Ozment noted that the state Outdoors Heritage Council, created to oversee the expenditure of funds from the 2008 Clean Water and Legacy amendment, which provides funds for the outdoors and the arts, has been named the Lessard- Sams Outdoors Heritage Council in honor of Sams and former Sen. Bob Lessard of International Falls.

"Dallas brought a strong amount of common sense to every piece of legislation he ever worked on," Ozment said. He was the House Ag committee chair and worked closely with Sams who chaired the Senate Ag committee.

Jeff DeGeest and other Staples volunteer firemen supervised a fishing contest from the pier prior to the program. Winning fisher people included Grant Thompson for the three to five year old age level; Amy Lockli, for the next age group; Dillon Hanson for the older youths and Wayne Menson for the adults.

Grant Thompson and Nichole Pietz each won fishing rods given away by organizers.

Unveiled at the conclusion of the program was a granite monument with Dallas Sams likeness. His children Seth, Stacia, Jordan and Mitchell Sams all had a part in unveiling the monument created by the Brichacek Granite of Motley and Little Falls Granite works.

The two Staples Lions clubs served a noon meal of brats and wieners to just under 200 people. The Staples Rotary helped with parking and the Staples Motley FFA chapter provided some games for youngsters. Numerous other groups were involved in events throughout the day. (See letter to the editor).

Two softball games followed the program, with all star teams from the two Staples Softball Association leagues forming the teams.

The Men's Division game found the American League downing the Nationals 9-7.

The American Leaguers included players from Lefty's Bar, Ted & Gen's, Rosing Woods and Twisted Sister's. The Nationals were from Gary's Place, DQ, Paulson Insurance and Captain Ron's.

In the Co- Rec Division all star game, the American's ( SouthSide Mini Mart, Bullseye Bar, Lakewood Health, Twisted Sisters) sneaked by the Nationals 13-12. The Nationals were from Noska Repair, Gould Construction, Richter Construction, Highline Construction and Lefty's Bar.

Smokey Joe's Lions Randy Beinhorn and Mike Gedde ran the grill, cooking brats and wieners for the hungry crowd Sunday at Dower Lake. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford) On target Lefty Heather Mensen tossed a bean bag toward the target Sunday in the trees at the Dower Lake Park. There were various games available for youngsters and a Tae-kwon-Do demonstration, among other events. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford)