Christmas in the Pioneer Center

By honoring these families, the facility stands as a vital symbol to honor the strength and entrepreneurial spirit of those who settled here and built this area.

The new Pioneer Center building is an impressive structure. It truly is an object display of the natural resources heritage of the region, as portions of the building were constructed with magnificent timbers salvaged from the old Klickitat Mill in Klickitat. SDS Lumber Co. provided much of the rest of the materials involved in the project.

The new building will serve to make life easier for citizens in this part of Klickitat County, as the building houses many county government services that used to require the long drive to Goldendale to accomplish.

County Commissioner Joan Frey commented during the dedication that the idea of building an annex of county government in the White Salmon area was first considered about 15 years ago. Frey noted that when the concept was originally aired, it seemed like an unreachable dream. Over time, the dream evolved into one in which the proposed county annex would also serve as the site of a magnificent new senior center.

It was only through many years of dedicated planning, fundraising, effort, and problem-solving, and the toil of many supporters, that this building has finally -- and very successfully -- been completed.

There are too many individuals to list here, but suffice it to say that this building is truly the product of a cohesive community effort, and something that residents all across the county can be proud of.

County Commissioner Don Struck, who probably invested more personal time and effort than anyone to help guide this project to reality, saluted the 20 families who had helped boost Klickitat County over the decades. Struck expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the families with a poignant statement that captured the feelings of many of us: "We're honoring the backbone of Klickitat County," he said.

It is appropriate that the formal opening of this fine facility comes just days before Christmas, as this structure represents the ultimate gift to the citizens of our community and of our county.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

JB