By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
It was a day to celebrate a milestone in the community and within the Piedmont Area Veteran’s Association Saturday with the grand opening of the new community center.
State Senator Stephanie Bice and U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas joined the celebration in a room full of citizens and veterans.
Bice thanked those whose hands and generous donations built the community center.
“The men and women in this room, the men and women who donated their time, their resources to make this building a reality today,” she said. “That’s what teamwork is all about. That’s what Piedmont is all about. This community has come together in many ways from the 4-H friends who guided us into the parking lot this morning to the wonderful folks at the back making stuff for us to enjoy after the ceremony, the guys setting up chairs and obviously the ones that helped make this a reality. So, it is with gratitude that I say thank you for all you have done to make today happen.”
The community center rests on land owned by the Piedmont school district and is being leased to PAVA for 40 years for $1 a year. Retired Canadian County Special Judge Ken Dickerson provided legal advice, and countless businesses and contractors for Tim Kudron and Hoss Cooley donated supplies and labor.
“Judge Dickerson drove a hard bargain on this land, but we were able to work out a deal,” Piedmont Public School Superintendent James White joked. White said he was humbled to join a room full of heroes and “high character” men.
“Congratulations on the opening of this fine facility and thank you all in this room for all your service to our country,” he said. “We thank you very much.”
The community center was officially dedicated in memory of the late Jan Dickerson, former Piedmont teacher. Ken Dickerson made substantial donations to the project in her name after he lost his wife in 2017. PAVA Chairman Cooley presented the plaque to Dickerson.
Cooley said Dickerson stepped up to the plate and donated a large sum of money to help them build the center in half the time.
“He wanted to honor his wife,” Cooley said. “He dedicated this building to his wife Jan Dickerson and this plaque will hang on the front of this building indefinitely. We want to thank you Judge.”
Dickerson thanked the PAVA committee and reflected on how the center began. He said the school board wanted to give the land to PAVA but could not legally do so.
“This would not have happened without the school board,” Dickerson said. “This is school land and school land can only be sold by auction and we couldn’t take that chance.”
He joked about the great deal the school board gave PAVA.
“We have a 40-year lease on this building for a $1 a year. So, to make sure we didn’t default I immediately gave him a check for $20,” he laughed. “So, we got $20 to go.”
Dickerson spoke of his late wife with deep emotion.
“I can’t speak about the plaque,” he said with tears. “I lost my wife after 49 years and we continued on, because this project was worth it. So, I want to thank all of you for you coming.”
Dickerson asked all veterans to stand to be recognized as the audience erupted into applause.
Lucas presented five Quilts of Valor to veterans including father and daughter veterans Leon Meyer and Amanda Henry, John Bickerstaff, Dr. Will G. Wyatt, and George Fina.
United States Air Force Retired Master Sergeant Meyer was touched.
“I’m humbled. I’m honored,” he began with a voice shaken with emotion. “The veterans and all the people who showed up today, thank you very much.”
Fina, who served in the U.S. Navy, said it was an honor he didn’t deserve.
“A lot of you guys are my heroes,” he said. “I’ve never been shot at. I don’t know what that’s like. But I have on the fire department been where my feet were going one way and my mind was saying, ‘this is not a good idea.’ I’ve had a felled firefighter die in my arms, so I know these were just things that happened. But this happened to you guys every day. You’re my heroes and I appreciate you and I thank the ladies that made the quilt.”
Wyatt, a U.S. Navy veteran, served as a medical officer during the Vietnam War.
“I am honored and humbled,” he said. “I was a little reluctant to accept this. You know valor means to me bravery. There’s not much bravery in what I did. I was a medical officer. My job was to patch the guys up and when the war was over, we did other duties.”
