“It was a splendiferous afternoon,” said Dave Wilderotter, Association board member.

The fun started at 1:00 with a fly-by by a ‘ultralight’ aircraft piloted by aerial photographer Paul Hamilton of Adventure Productions in Reno. He circled just off the beach and out over the lake ten times at an altitude of about 200 feet. The crowd cheered and waved as photos were taken on each pass.

"We rely on technology and we end up thinking as human beings that we’re totally safe, and we’re not." Says Dennis S. Miletti, a scholar on disaster prevention at the University of Colorado. "We live on a very unsafe planet."

Contractors completed the initial phase of construction last week, allowing the new bridge pedestrian crossing to open on the east side of the dam. Since then, pedestrians, runners, bicyclists, rollerbladers, and strollers all have been exploring the scenic new crossing. Located on the east side of the dam, the new bridge connects the west shore and north shore bike trails and provides an alternative to the congested crossing on the older vehicle bridge, affectionately known as "Fanny Bridge".

The celebration included a hike to the top of the peak where a small monument to Poulsen has been erected out of stones and wood. The group gathered around an American flag suspended on a rock outcropping for a group photo and then circled around the monument, holding hands. The Palisades Tahoe Chapel's Reverend Stephen Hamilton led the group in a small ceremony in remembrance of Wayne Poulsen's unique life and contributions to the Palisades Tahoe community.