Tourist questioned for filming sculpture

A man from London was questioned by police for taking pictures of the large bust of President Franklin D. Roosevelt overlooking the lake that bears his name.

Grand Coulee Dam’s Plant Protection office asked about 9 a.m. on May 4 that a Grand Coulee police officer question a “suspicious” man who was filming the dam and area.

Facilities at the dam are under electronic video surveillance. The bust of Roosevelt is mounted just upstream of the dam on the west side of the lake near the Plant Protection office.

Martin A. J. Curtis, 60, told the officer he was taking pictures of the face of the bust and surrounding area and that he worked for a company that drew up the original blueprints for Grand Coulee Dam.

Curtis said he was on his way to SeaTac Airport to catch a return flight to London.

After police checked Curtis out, he headed to Seattle.