Building the future one brick at a time

Brick dedication at Big Bend honors community and raises $45,000 for most recent

capital project

MOSES LAKE — It's been at least 20 years since former Big Bend Community College flight instructor, Buck Wheat, has met up with Capt. Steve Lloyd, one of many students he taught in the college's flight program.

Thursday's brick dedication and barbecue at BBCC brought over 100 people like Wheat and Lloyd to campus where reminiscing on old times was a focal point for many throughout the evening.

"He was one of the guys," Wheat recalls of Lloyd and other flight students who hung out together on the weekends and became close friends while at BBCC.

The evening was also a chance to see names of family and friends on the bricks now decorating the plaza outside the Grant County Advanced Technologies Education Center.

More than 400 bricks have been sold with the names of students, teachers, community members and loved ones.

"There's a lot of history out there in those bricks," said Doug Sly, Big Bend Foundation Executive Director.

So far, the brick dedication has helped raise $45,000 for the ATEC facility and technology inside the building.

For Ted and Barbara Osborne, the brick dedication brought back memories of their son, Douglas, who built the tri-glav, a mathematical-like structure on the BBCC campus.

Doris Swanstrom, who retired this spring as the secretary for BBCC's Japanese Agricultural Training Program, remembered students that have come through the JATP.

Long-time resident Frank Shinn dedicated a brick in memory of his son John.

"There's so many memories I don't think I want to start (remembering them all)," Shinn said.

The relationships made between the college, Basin and communities abroad was also cause for celebration Thursday evening.

"I'm very proud of the vision people had in this town to create an institution (like this) and it's been a bridge between other countries (and communities)," said Basin resident Ethylmarie Greeley.

"It's a good opportunity for people who have supported the college for 40 years to have lasting recognition in a public setting for supporting this project," Sly said of ATEC.

During the evening BBCC President Bill Bonaudi called the brick dedication a strong testimony of the community's dedication to the college and their community.

The funds raised to support ATEC will be used by future generations for many years to come, Bonaudi said.

Bricks can be purchased by calling 793-2006.

A 4 by 8 inch brick is $75 and an 8 by 8 inch brick is $150.