QUARTZ HILL OPENS LONG-SOUGHT CENTER FOR POLICE, CHAMBER.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Hundreds of people, many dressed in western garb, gathered in Quartz Hill on Saturday morning to join the grand opening celebration of the new Quartz Hill Town Center.

The Town Center, located on 50th Street West south of Avenue L-14, was a nearly two-year project put together by entities who will inhabit the building, including the Quartz Hill Chamber of Commerce, the Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles County Police Force.

Because there was no budget for the project, the center was built solely with donations, which by completion totaled more than $100,000.

``It's the culmination of a very long effort,'' said Sgt. Brian Hawksley, who was one of the key players in getting the center built. ``It's also the beginning of something new for the area.''

The event was kicked off by nearly 100 community leaders and residents riding on horseback through the town. Riders included Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, Lancaster station Capt. Tom Pigott, several other members of the Sheriff's Department and Quartz Hill residents.

A dedication ceremony followed with community leaders, including Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, Baca, Pigott, and a representative from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich's office, offering their comments on the opening.

``The idea of what our country's about is communities coming together and building things they can hold on to,'' Baca said. ``All of us got scared on Sept. 11 and I think the only good thing about it is that it pulls us closer together.''

The center was built with donations of cash, materials and labor from more than 40 Antelope Valley businesses and residents. Sheriff's personnel, county police personnel, members of the Quartz Hill Chamber of Commerce and Town Council along with Quartz Hill residents put the donations in place to completely rehabilitate the building.

The building was initially the home of a soldier from the Muroc Army Air Field, now Edwards Air Force Base, who built the place using scrap lumber from the air field just after World War II.

The center has come to be known as the Miracle on 50th Street because of the struggles involved in building it, obtaining the proper permits and materials, and because all the work was done by volunteers on their own time.

``To see the community come together, come up with an idea and implement it is what Quartz Hill and the Antelope Valley is all about,'' said former Town Council member Darren Parker.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Guests give the new Quartz Hill Town Center an inspection at Saturday's grand opening ceremony. The new center will house offices for law enforcement and the chamber of commerce.

(2) Sheriff's Capt. Tom Pigott, on white horse, is among the riders who helped kick off Saturday's town center dedication in Quartz Hill. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca joined the ride.

(3) Danny Brooks of Palmdale, dressed as a Confederate soldier, takes a photograph during Saturday's dedication.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer