Our city has seen a lot

of history over the past 100 years.

When Pacific was first incorporated, the Titanic had not yet been launched, no one had ever heard of a world war and automobiles were just a fancy thing that few thought would ever catch on.

Local residents might catch the Interurban electric railroad to Tacoma or Seattle to go to the Pantages Theater. Advertisements could be found promoting the City of Pacific with three boxcars loaded with lumber and promising a free Jersey cow with every plot of land sold. It was a much different time.

What memories do you have of our city? What photographs might you have hiding in a closet? Share these memories with your fellow citizens.

A display case, located in City Hall, will be displaying photographs and memories of Pacific’s first 100 years.

In addition, plans are being made to continue the oral history project from a few years back to capture some of our history on tape. This can then be shown on Channel 21 and at Pacific Days next summer.

If you have an interest in getting involved in this please let me know.

‘Young at Heart’

Our city is blessed with great organizations where volunteers work tirelessly to make our community better. Last month I talked about Pacific Partnerships; this month I want to talk a bit about our Pacific Algona Community Center.

In 1975, the City of Pacific received a $78,000 grant allowing for the conversion of the old school gymnasium into a community center, as well as helping provide services for senior citizens of Pacific and Algona. Providing nutrition, health and other services for seniors, this program always has been blessed by great staff and wonderful volunteers.

They were the originators of the Pacific Big Deal Festival, which later became Pacific Days. They held dances in the gym as well as other events throughout the city. For many years they were the glue that has help unite this community, volunteered for our fire and police departments and created partnerships between our cities, our schools and our citizens.

This great group, originally known as “Young at Heart,” has been and still is at the heart of our community.

Today this organization might have changed, but still remains true to its goals of uniting our community. It is now a hybrid of a city-run program providing nutrition and other services and a separate non-profit effort providing many additional community services.

Volunteers still are the heart of this program, spending countless hours both in and out of the community center.

In addition to the nutrition program that most people see, we have Meals on Wheels for residents who cannot easily make it out of their homes. We have a pet food program, helping seniors and low income families feed their loving companions.

Volunteers have helped with home repairs, planted flowers and helped create Stone Soup, a program providing free lunches every Monday.

The community center has created programs for our youth, partnered with agencies such as the YMCA and promoted intergenerational programs. The Touch of Home program knitted lap robes for disabled veterans, scarves and gloves for orphanages in Eastern Europe and local babies.

Most of all our community center provides companionship and social activity for all of our citizens. This is just a small bit of the fantastic things this great organization has given to our city.

I have often said that what gives Pacific that small town feel is not the physical size of our city, but the largeness of the hearts of some of our citizens.

Alpac Lions Club

A new Lions club is being formed in Pacific/Algona. If you have an interest in enhancing the quality of life in your community, you are invited to join our Lions club.

The scheduled meeting dates and times are the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m., and the fourth Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the Pacific Community Center, 122 3rd Ave SE, Pacific.

Lions Clubs identify needs within the community and work together to fulfill those needs.

For more information, please contact Tracy Apata at 206-992-7609.

Pacific Mayor Rich Hildreth can be reached at 253-929-1108 or pacificmayor@aol.com