On July 20, the San Juan County Council voted unanimously to keep the Odlin Park cannon exactly where it is.

Council member and Lopez resident Bob Myhr says he feels “very positive” about the decision. “It was put in place by a local American Legion chapter, no longer functioning, as a memorial to those on Lopez who have served. It continues as a memorial, I’m pleased with the council’s action.”

The issues surrounding the cannon; its location, and its liability, have been the subject of much community discussion over the past weeks.

Some felt that a cannon was an inappropriate land mark for a public park, and that it lacked the formality of an enclosure and commemorative plaque. Since Fort Worden had expressed interest in having the cannon in fall 2009, there was the option of relocating the canon to a military museum.

The majority of Lopezians, however, seemed to feel that the cannon should remain in Odlin. The option of moving it was publically discussed at the forum for the Odlin Park renovations proposal on June 30.

Lopez residents who attended the meeting to discuss possible changes to Odlin, were unhappy about the prospect of loosing the cannon. Since it has been on Lopez for 63 years, the public feeling was that it is part of the local landscape.

Lopez resident Dan Post has spoken out against the moving of the cannon and addressed the council on the topic on July 20. In a comment on the San Juan County Parks website he defends the cannon’s location, “these men [veterans] could have placed this cannon anywhere on the island but they chose Odlin Park. The cannon has a rich history for many of us.”

It is that sense of history that will now be protected by the council’s decision. Actual ownership of the cannon is unclear and therefore cannot be transfered to the county council, however an arrangement will be made between them and the military entity in charge of old arsenal. The agreement will formally transfer custodianship of the canon over to the council.

This is not the first time issues over the location of the canon have arisen. Myhr says that the first time was approximately ten years ago, followed by another bout of discussion five years after that. Myhr says he hopes the custodian agreement will “put to rest” this disagreement, establishing the canon as a permanent landmark on Lopez.