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A positive reflection

The tranquil sound of rushing water as it feeds a peaceful pond... A sanctuary from summer heat... A place to collect thoughts and release anxiety.

Such places are common in northern Idaho. Now, thanks to the efforts of Pam Knapp, their number has grown by one, and ITD employees don't have to travel far to enjoy the serenity.

Knapp, who maintains the grounds at ITD’s District 1 campus in Coeur d’Alene, applied her creativity and appreciation for the natural environment to create a beautiful water feature.

She conceived the idea several months ago as a way of augmenting the landscape features in front of the district’s main office building. Her creative touch was evident already in the well-manicured grounds. The new enhancement was completed with minimal expense using surplus or recycled material from construction or maintenance projects.

The stones are riprap; the liner was left over from a seeding project. One of the district drillers bored holes in the rock for the fountain. The only financial outlay was for a small waterfall pump.

Knapp’s ingenuity and talent brought all of those elements together recently to create what has become known as the Reflection Pond.

District 1 is very fortunate to have a groundskeeper who likes to think outside the box. For the last five years, Knapp has created, through hard work and determination, a beautifully landscaped campus for the district office. Her latest creation has received rave reviews from visitors and district employees.

Responses from the public have been overwhelmingly positive, especially when they learn that it was accomplished at almost no cost.

Her efforts also were acknowledged by Idaho Transportation Board members who held a monthly meeting Aug. 19, 20 in Coeur d’Alene.

They joined District 1 colleagues in thanking Knapp for her ingenuity and ongoing commitment to making the office complex a more enjoyable, beautiful place to work and visit.