ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Ryan Thompson Memorial Park will be officially dedicated during a ceremony scheduled for Monday, November 9, at 1 p.m. The park is located on the east side of Naneum road, one quarter mile north of the Vantage Highway, about four miles east of Ellensburg

The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved naming the property, next to Naneum Kids Pond, in honor of Thompson, a Kittitas County Sheriff’s Deputy, who was killed in the line of duty on March 19, 2019.

In their resolution, the commissioners noted that Thompson was an outdoor recreation enthusiast enjoying fishing, hiking, camping and otherwise enjoying the great outdoors, adding that renaming the property in his honor would be a tribute to him, his service, and his family. A large, specially inscribed boulder was also recently installed at the site in Thompson’s honor.

The enhancement of the current facilities is being assisted by private donations along with funds from the Ellensburg Downtown Rotary, Generations and Rodeo City Kiwanis civic organizations.

An eight-member commission is being formed to develop and direct the park’s master plan. Donations are being accepted through the 501c3 nonprofit Community Foundation of Kittitas County at PO Box 222, Ellensburg WA 98926.

For more information about the park dedication, contact Jim Ridgway at 509 899-0477.