In 1948 Billy Needham presented Laverne Schliep, then-owner of Clearwater Lodge, with a handcarved totem pole featuring Paul Bunyan, Babe the Blue Ox, and other characters. For six-plus decades, thousands of people have admired the totem pole and many posed next to it for photos. In 2011 it was discovered that the pole was deteriorating and its eagle’s wings fell off. Noticing the sad state of the once-proud totem pole, Bob Olson, long time resident of Clearwater Lake and a friend of the historic lodge, decided to apply his talents as a craftsman to the totem pole’s situation. This spring, Olson presented Clearwater Lodge with a new, hand-carved totem pole to replace the aged original. Current owners of the lodge, Kasey and Adam Van Tassell, are happy to report that the new pole has been installed. “Hopefully many more thousands of people will enjoy gazing up at a wonderful piece of art for many more decades,” said Kasey. An official unveiling of the new totem will be held on Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m. The community is invited.
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