SEQUIM — The refurbished kitchen at the Guy Cole Events Center is open for use.
Dignitaries, business owners, community members and Guy Cole’s family members filled a portion of the center on March 28 for a ribbon cutting led by the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Work by Hoch Construction of Port Angeles finished earlier this year on schedule and under budget on the kitchen, said City Engineer Matt Klontz.
They worked under a contract of about $199,727 plus a 10-percent contingency to bring the kitchen in compliance with state and city guidelines, and to add/or replace an oven hood and fire suppression system, a freezer, ice machine, lighting, and flooring along with providing electrical and plumbing hookups for future items.
State 24th District Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, cut the ribbon for the project as an advocate for the project as chair for the House Capital Budget Committee.
“It’s a bit of a cliché to say but it’s one of those classic partnerships between the state, the city, and the (Port of Port Angeles) coming together.”
“It’s going to be a great asset,” he said.
District 24 state Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, cuts the ribbon on the Guy Cole Events Center’s new kitchen last Wednesday. He and several other dignitaries attended, including city councilors, members of Guy Cole’s family, state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege and retired Sequim City Manager Steve Burkett. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Tom and Jerry Cole, sons of Guy Cole, were in attendance for the ribbon cutting along with Cole’s granddaughters and grandsons and “adopted daughter” Leilani Wood who was hired by Cole as the future facility’s first caretaker.
Tom Cole said “it felt great” to see people honoring his father.
“We hope his legacy lives on for a long time,” he said.
Members of Guy Cole’s family attended the ribbon cutting last Wednesday, which commemorated Cole’s work as a community advocate, along with Judy Reandeau Stipe, executive director of the Sequim Museum and Arts, on right. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Some of the other dignitaries at the ribbon cutting included state Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, retired City Manager Steve Burkett and Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias.
Honoring Guy Cole
The building, formally known as the Guy Cole Mini-Convention Center, was built over a year and finished in 1983 by the Sequim Lions and named after Guy Cole for his community work.
Judy Reandeau Stipe, executive director of the Sequim Museum and Arts, previously said that Cole and Lions members convinced the Sequim city council to allocate $35,000 for the convention center, which they’d match and build with volunteer labor.
After moving to Sequim in 1962 with his wife Gertrude to open Cole’s Jewelry, Cole became active with several community endeavors such as serving as president and vice president of the Sequim Lions Club several times, a Sequim city councilor, president of the Chamber of Commerce’s board, a charter member of both the Sequim Bay Yacht Club and Sequim Elks Club and much more.
George Dooley, past president of the Sequim Valley Lions, presented Mayor Dennis Smith with a certificate of appreciation for honoring Cole and the Sequim Lions, who championed the original convention center.
“Our hope is the new revitalized center will be a place where memories are made, friendships are forged and (be) a sense of pride for our community for many years,” Dooley said.
Sequim City Engineer Matt Klontz, right, congratulates John Watson, project engineer for the Guy Cole Events Center, for his efforts. Klontz said Watson came out of retirement to work on the center, and he retired last Wednesday, the same day of the kitchen’s ribbon cutting. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
City council members briefly considered new names for the refurbished Guy Cole Mini-Convention Center but opted to change it to the Guy Cole Events Center to continue honoring Cole.
Sequim Deputy Mayor Candace Pratt also shared a brief history of the center and how community advocate Pat Johansen and former mayor Ken Hays approached city council in 2012 seeking support to refurbish the center.
Klontz commended the center’s Project Engineer John Watson, who came out of retirement 16 months ago to help finish it. On March 28 he retired again.
Funding
To refurbish a majority of the center, the city received a $436,500 grant from the 2015-2017 state Capital Budget through the Department of Commerce Direct Grant Program.
The first phase included renovating the bathroom, lowering the ceiling and adding new acoustic tiles, installing new carpet, windows and trim, a new roof, exterior lighting and paint inside and outside while the second phase included the kitchen.
Some funds were left from the first phase at about $72,000 that went to the kitchen along with $34,000 in unspent Hotel-Motel Lodging tax revenues, $69,000 in general funds, and $25,000 in Real Estate Excise Tax funds.
Work to refurbish the Guy Cole Events Center’s kitchen included installing a new oven hood and fire suppression system, a freezer, ice machine, lighting, and flooring along with providing electrical and plumbing hookups for future items. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
City staff continue to plan phase III to refurbish the breakout rooms in the east side of the center with city crew but an official timeline hasn’t been set.
Sarah Van Ausdle, public works management analyst, said maintenance for rentals is outsourced to Bucket Brigade, which renters must schedule with them for clean up.
She said they plan to have an online form to schedule the building online in the coming months.
For more information on the Guy Cole Events Center, call the City of Sequim at 360-683-4139 or visit www.sequimwa.gov.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
