DESERT AIRE — The new Desert Aire visitor center will hold its grand opening on Saturday. The visitors center is located at the entrance of Desert Aire, in the old Desert Aire Citizens Patrol building. The grand opening will include the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the local fire department, a truck with a secure document shredder and home and street clean up for Desert Aire homeowners. There will also be a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the visitor center.

“There will be cookies and coffee,” said Caroline Holmes, a member of the board of directors for the Desert Aire Owners Association. “We will have information for evacuations for fires. You can also get your CPR card that day. We have thought of everything for the whole community to be safe.”

County dignitaries will be in attendance including Grant County Commissioners and PUD Commissioners.

The new visitors center was an idea Holmes had to help bring new life to an empty building at the entrance of Desert Aire.

“We have done a complete remodel,” said Holmes. “It has been sitting empty for the past three to four years. It is an asset of Desert Aire. We have re-purposed it. It was becoming a bit of an eyesore. I hate to see a building right at the entrance of Desert Aire just sitting there. I liked the idea of a business center. Other towns have a place where you can go to find maps, what to eat or ask questions. I threw the idea out to a couple other people. They asked why we hadn’t thought of it before. We think we have a lot to offer to homeowners and their guests and people that drive by.”

The visitors center will have information on local businesses, activities and attractions, and will offer help to people who are seeking information for repairs and supplies.

Volunteers will be staffing the facility.

“We have 17 volunteers that will do shifts,” Holmes said.

The building has also been remodeled thanks to the help and support of contractors that work in the Desert Aire area.

“Every person we asked within the construction industry here in Desert Aire felt like they owed it back to Desert Aire,” said Holmes. “It was so nice that they were willing to help us do this. They are so busy. We could not have gotten it done.”

In addition to the activities going on throughout the day at the new visitors center, homeowners are invited to clean up their properties and take advantage of the dumpsters that will be brought in for the weekend.

“Home owners may dump for free,” Holmes said. “They have to show their homeowner’s card.”

Friday, volunteers will be cleaning up public spaces and the spaces of those who are physically unable to care for their own properties.

The new Desert Aire visitor center will be opening on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be open for the entire summer. Winter hours are yet to be determined.

“It is a real team effort,” said Holmes. “With Desert Aire, it is all about community and team effort. What we hope to accomplish is to help others. Those who come over for the weekend, who don’t know where to go, who don’t live here. We hope to facilitate information in a timely manner.”

Rachal Pinkerton may be contacted via email at [email protected].