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Show THE Dream of Friends by LAUREL HOLLIDAY Landing For years, Dave Hamilton dreamed of a river Before could he and his At long last, Hamilton friend, Biilj go fishing. tenning with trout and salmon when favorite but when he been had his one of activities, Billy went to Vietnam, fishing him. If was his outdoor of both home minus beyond tame activity fogs, nearly evny fish and and disabled could been where had there nature a explore people place only have decided wouldn't like to Hamilton other thought, maybe Billy people, camp end his life in 1978. Hamilton, a logger in Elma, Wash., (pop. 3,049) waited 10 yean for his dream began to believe that to come true. It began when the Friend family of Aberdeen, Wash., wanted to make a rharirahlf dnnarinn of 132 acres they owned on the Chchalis River not for from Elma. Hamilton and fellow members of the Grays Harbor Chapter of Trout anglers but is easily accessible in only a few places, which tend to be crowded, so the donated land was Unlimited persuaded the family to donate the property to their nonprofit organization for use as a recreation area and campground designed especially for people with disabilities. Two Trout Unlimited members, it turned out, were giant writers. Once the steering committee for the campground was organized, the writers helped the organization obtain county, state, and federal grants totaling $1.2 million. Call Now And Get These Mini Folding $095 ow you won't have a hard time at home or on the go reading fine print on menus. In newspapers or 'phone books, or on grocery or pharmacy labels, with these handy raiding reading glasses! Compact and lightweight, and stylish, they give you magnification power for reading or sewing. No more carrying around bulky reading glasses! The unique frame is designed at the nose bridge and with 3 hinges-o- ne jgm Jr W Glasses fold down to Just x 2 12" sod coma wtth a compact, snip-sh-ut cany casa 1 12" one near each of the earpieces-sltowi- ng fold down to Jut 2 12 when not - themuse.to The lenses come hi a choice of' In 1.50, 2.00, 2.50 or 3.00 diopters magnification. (If unsure about how much magnification you need, subtract 35 from your age and put a decimal point between the two numbers.) These glasses make terrific gifts. Order yours today. iFREEtfBonusReadiiTifGlassesll When Ybu Order Now By ToO-Fr-ee atcsesEE. hrywmlWBMHdi TlMyHy iHBpm SUSpUuftoeyn Ptione . iS2J5ptofvcadipifrafdiMtaMiaoicelta4l7S,DtlMMSMi Hrtkfon Mo NY 117 CK ad MV hUh pfcMt add aka tat fhtefiw Ims alkwwaejwMfeaM rtisdriMweJ Sabbcfan Gumnfeed V not Maty drifted, jot mgr Muni your podwc far a prompt rofand of your cmui le especially precious. lake "With a re and almost a jnile of river frontage, there was a lor that could be done," says Geocge Caldwell, who joined Hamilton and Trout Unlimited President Jon Lewis in the early planning stages of what is known today as Friends Landing. Caldwell was 24 when he was felled by a tree in a windstorm while working as a lineman for the telephone company. 1 was an avid hunter, and I used to fish a kx before the accident, he lays. "I was still very active in my wheekhaic. His input on the unique design of Friends Landing proved to be invaluable. trail surrounding the lake Friends Landing has no hills or stain. The 1.73-mi- le is level asphalt, and the boat ramp is designed so that people in wheelchairs can transfer into a boat. There are covered fishing shacks right along the water's edge, a fishiqg pier on the rivet; and four piers on the lake all wheekhair accessible. The children's playground is surfaced with compacted wood chips that wheelchairs roll easily over; and there's a special swing with safety snaps. Even die fire pits at the campsites ate high enough so that a person in a wheelchair can build a fire. As any angler knows, indoor amenities can be just as important as the outdoor ones. At Friends Landing, a ramp leads to the bathhoux, where guests cm get a hot shower and use a changing table and a shower bench. Facilities are spacious enough, that an attendant can accompany a person in a wheelchair. Everyone is welcome to fish and amp at Friends Landing, but those with disabilities are given priority when die campgrounds ate doae to foil , Over the 10 yean that it took to complete Friends landing, hundreds of people volunteered thousands of hours to see it through. Tve seen a lor of projects that don't work our," says Hamilton, "bur at Friends landing everybody put die project ahead of their own setfinteresc. They had a vision of wfaat they wanted to get done. And the people in wheekhaits kept everybody focused on the common goal ' Benny Dalton, a speech therapist from Ocean Shores, Wash., (pop. 3,836) is one ofthe many peopk for whom Friends landing is an invaluable resource. Disabled at birth, she gets around in a motorized wheelchair. Being able to go on walks, fishing, picnicking nothing really compares to Friends landing," she says. 38-ac- . Reading Glasses for only fishwheek and admin camping ing hed so wanted for Billy would become a reality. The river is a favorite for steelhead and coho salmon pudMK price no quMSoM ariod! e.mrinH LumJ Htllidaj is a fnquent contributor to American Profile. . |