The Gathering Place

by DIMITRI IVIE

On the site where the old Dairy Queen once stood is now a wonderful spot to enjoy time with friends. The community pulled together to build this wonderful new place for our generations to gather together to make new friends and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

There were 261 different individuals that contributed to this project, including  students from Key Club, staff from the Milton-Freewater Downtown Alliance (MFDA) and many others from our community who contributed to complete this new masterpiece. From start to finish, it took only three months and ten days to complete with four sweat-filled days from the volunteers. There will eventually be some trees that will be planted to replace the canopies that are currently providing  shade.

All of the art structures that surrounds the place have meaning within their making. Each pillar represents a cultural or social aspect of the town, such as agriculture, sports, mechanics, winter sports, history, and town services. The upright mosaics are in memory of the Martin family and what they contributed to this project. The stair-step piece represents the mountains, and the design on the cement (created by an acid wash) recreates the Walla Walla River.

All the work and effort that has been put into this has been well worth it. The area has been prayed over by Pastor Steve Lyons from First Christian Church and the members that worked during the construction of the gathering place.