Park renamed again, taking champ's name off

Well, it lasted longer than 8 seconds, but after just four years of being named Shane Proctor Park, that park is going back to its old name. 

The park on SR-174, in Grand Coulee between a gas station and La Presa restaurant is called Grand Coulee City Park. 

In 2017, the city council approved renaming the park after professional bull-riding champion and Grand Coulee native Shane Proctor. 

Now, after just four years as Shane Proctor Park, it's being changed back to Grand Coulee City Park. On August 17, the council approved taking Proctor's name off the park and going back to the old name. 

The city is receiving a $162,000 grant from the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation for upgrades to the park, and a stipulation of that money is to give recognition to the foundation.

A conceptual design for a new sign reads "Grand Coulee City Park" in large letters, and underneath that "In Recognition of Funding Provided By The Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation." 

City Clerk Lorna Pearce told the council prior to their decision that part of the reasoning for removing Proctor's name is because of backlash over naming the park after him in the first place.

"There are a lot of citizens in town that we have heard from in the office after it was renamed Shane Proctor Park," she said, explaining that the citizens were "wondering why he got recognition when he had nothing to do with the park, doesn't live in Grand Coulee, why family members of theirs that had initiated the park process back in the day never got any recognition and it wasn't renamed after them." 

The Star didn't hear back from Proctor prior to deadline after reaching out for comment. 

Proctor has distinguished himself on the professional bull riding and rodeo circuits, having won the World Championship Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bull Riding title in 2011. He added to this honor winning the 2013 Built Ford Tough Series and is the first cowboy to win a million dollars in both the PRCA and Professional Bull Riding.

Proctor graduated from Lake Roosevelt High School in 2003 and has been a rodeo contender ever since.