EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN!

With the advent of a new year, I can think about little else but dahlias! As treasurer and show committee chair, I have a laundry list of things that I get to do, in order to prepare for the upcoming season. First of all, local membership dues need to be paid - at $10 for a family membership, it is one of the best deals in town! Then I need to find out who will be joining the American Dahlia Society and the Federation of NW Dahlia Growers, and make sure I collect the appropriate amounts, and then transmit this information and money to Alan Fisher (ADS) and Rosemary Freeman (FNWDG). I'm happy to see that our membership is holding steady, and that some of our members are picking up ADS or Federation memberships this year for the first time. I take that to mean that the enthusiasm for dahlia growing and showing here in NCW is alive and well, and that people continue to seek growth, and expand their experience as dahlia growers. We also have gained at least one new member on our Show Committee, and will have our first meeting this Tuesday - yay! There WILL be cookies, as well as some great new ideas for this year's show. If all goes according to plan, the BEST new idea for this year's show is a change in venue.

In a region the size of North Central Washington, we are always challenged to maximize the number of attendees at our annual shows. With a population of just over 51,000 in the greater NCW area, we need to make sure that our shows are held in public places that will attract people who might not otherwise see something as wonderful as a dahlia show. For the past several years, that place has been the Wenatchee Valley Mall, in East Wenatchee, where the beautiful blooms dazzle shoppers, many of whom are taken completely by surprise. This "pass-through" traffic has provided many people the opportunity to gain an awareness of this incredible flower, just by virtue of the fact that they needed to pick something up at Ross, Macy's or Sears, and we happened to be there at the same time. I know that some clubs in other regions don't have the exposure we have had at the mall, and we have been encouraged to hang onto the Mall site as long as we possibly can. However, this year, an opportunity has presented itself, and several of us on the show committee can hardly contain our excitement!

For many decades, the Pybus Steel building at the foot of Orondo Street has been laying empty. Windows had been broken out, taggers had wielded their spray cans and markers, and the building had fallen into decay. Since the early twentieth century, this building had been a large part of the growth of business and resources in NCW. They did all kinds steel-related work in including blacksmithing, building an entire merchant delivery fleet, "doctoring" heavy road equipment, building steel tanks for spraying orchards, supplying steel for Columbia River dam construction, making manhole covers and hardware, making cranes, tractors and many things for the US government during the WWII era, among countless other things -At one point during its history, the area surrounding the Pybus Steel building was the site of "Shacktown" where many transient and poverty stricken families lived...a very rich history, to be sure....to "read more about it", you can visit the following link: http://www.pybusmarket.org/history.php

Last year, one of our local civic leaders and philanthropists, Mike Walker, decided to reclaim and restore this historic site, as a gift to the citizens of the Wenatchee area. His vision was to leave a permanent legacy by creating a remarkable community asset, and he developed a non-profit foundation in order to make this happen. Through donations, grants and his own contribution of millions, Mike has had spectacular success with reclaiming, re-designing and developing the site as a year-round public market. Tenants have already committed to fill all the indoor spaces, and will also provide a home for our seasonal market to have their outdoor stalls. The site will be used to serve the greater good by collaborating with other non-profit and charitable groups. At this point, it looks like WE (NCWDS) will be one of those groups, and we couldn't be more excited! There is a very roomy concourse, just crying to be populated by dahlias during a late September weekend! Several of us met with Executive Director Steve Robinson, and we left with great anticipation, as well as a floor plan on which we will draft a schematic for a setup that should meet our need and fit in with the mission of the Market. The Pybus site is just west of the Columbia River and just east of historic downtown Wenatchee. It is lit by abundant natural light that streams in through the high windows above the mezzanine, and it will also be able to provide all the amenities that we need in order to take good care of our judges and volunteer staff.

We expect to have everything firmed up by the end of this week, so stay tuned for updates - We are really looking forward to having our great judges and exhibitors be part of the writing of an exciting new chapter in the history of our city. Carpe Diem!