End of an era

It was the early '70's when Pleasant Hill proudly annoited it's new Community Center on Civic Drive.  On April 17, 2011 they close its doors forever, soon to tear it down.

The architect designed it in such a way the wood beams are rotting to the extent repairs would cost many 100,000's of dollars, so a bond issue was approved which will allow a new building instead.  The decay accelerated to the degree the building was condemned a year or so earlier than planned and it will be torn down shortly...........but wait!  Birds are nesting!  In respect for nesting birds, the tear down probably will not happen until September, 2011. In the meantime the building will be closed and fenced off.  All activities thereon have been moved to other locations; a herculean task arranged by hard-working Pleasant Hill Park and Rec staffers.

Just today I attended our last Pleasant Hill Rotary luncheon meeting there.  Starting next week we are excited to have a new meeting locale, though sad to leave our very comfortable McHale Room (named after our long time member Tom McHale for his years of service to the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District.)  We will meet at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Mary Drive, located nearby.  Pastor Shel White is a member of the Pleasant Hill Rotary Club so it syncs perfectly to move our meetings to his lovely church campus which sports a beautiful new fellowship hall where many events will be held while the community center replacement is underway.

Over the years so many events in our lives have occured at the Pleasant Hill Community Center: Don's Pleasant Hill Lion's Club Crab Feeds every January.  We have gone for 30 years; not sure how many more years they had it before we joined in.  My Pleasant Hill Rotary Club's St Patrick's Day Dinner fund raiser of many years.  The Pleasant Hill Dolfins Swim Team Awards Banquet/Night in September which we first started attending 25 years ago..........school dances, weddings, Christmas holiday events, too many events to number and list here!  That building holds within its walls so many memories, so many emotions for so many people........but from its ruins will rise an even better building, one for our future, for our children and their children to enjoy and build memories in!  For now, we look back, for them, we look forward.  And meanwhile, the nesting birds have a home.