Buildings & Sites
Statue and Bench At City Hall South
2001 photo by Steve Gierke
Retired City Linda Ruehle Clerk poses with a statue of herself. The
statue, which can be found on a bench in from of City Hall South, was
commissioned by the City in 2001 to commemorate Linda's long service. The
photo was taken at the statue's dedication ceremony on October 5, 2001.
Linda passed away in 2005
Statue And Bench: Corner of 1st Ave. SE and E. Sunset Way, in front of
City Hall South.
see map
[The following article is adapted from the Washington
Municipal Clerks' Association (WMCA) Fall 2001 quarterly newsletter]
Linda Ruehle, City Clerk for the City of Issaquah retired on June 1, 2001,
after serving the City and the community for 30 years. On October 5, 2001,
Linda was honored by her City during a dedication ceremony of a life-sized bench
sculpture installed outside the City Council Chambers at the corner of 1st Ave.
SE and E. Sunset Way.
The cast aluminum bench was sculpted by famous Pacific Northwest artist,
Richard Beyer, who is most well known for his “Waiting For The Interurban”
sculpture in the Fremont district of Seattle. The bench features a
“representation” of Linda sitting on a bench supported by ordinance books, as
she looks through one of the record books (see photo). The bench was paid for
by the City of Issaquah Arts Commission and private donations.
According to Linda, “I’m very overwhelmed and very proud. It’s a tremendous
honor; and it’s very humbling to think the City would do this for me. I have
always felt appreciated by my City, but this makes me feel even more appreciated
for all those late night meetings and long hours of hard work.” City
Administrator Leon Kos says the permanent honor is well deserved. “She was an
extremely devoted and loyal employee. We really appreciated her thoroughness
and knowledge,” Kos said.
Linda says that Issaquah has always been in the forefront on many things, and
that perhaps this sculpture of a City Clerk is also a “first” in the State (or
even in the nation). “My greatest hope is that the sculpture will raise the
awareness of the position of the City Clerk, in general, and the essential
governmental services that the Office of the City Clerk provides,” said Ruehle.
Photo courtesy of Linda Ruehle
Linda Ruehle at her desk (circa 1976) posing with the City's original
ordinance book. The book starts out with the hand-written Ordinance 1,
dated April 1892.
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