110TH ANNUAL MEEETING:
MAY 12, 2001
Our 110th Annual meeting of the Rainier Valley Historical Society, formerly the Pioneers of Columbia City, was held on May 12, 2001, at the Rainier Valley Cultural Center, 3515 S Alaska Street, which is located behind the Library.

Our program consisted of the presentation of our new Web Site, designed and developed for us by the advertising agency THINK.

The program included a slide show and our display of much of our Rainier Valley History, including galleries of our photographs and printed material. A buffet luncheon was also be served.

The date for our year 2002, and our 11th annual meeting, hasn't been set but it will be in early May 2002. Plan on attending. Our newsletter, The Heritage News, will keep you up to date regarding our activities.

COLUMBIA SUMMER FEST AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL:

The Columbia Summer Fest, (new name this year) and the Heritage Festival Parade were held on August 25th and 26th in Columbia City. Thousands of people attended the two day event again this year, the only Festival in South East Seattle. It was again sponsored by the Rainier Chamber of Commerce businesses and commercial clubs and is getting bigger every year.

The festivities started with a parade through Columbia City on Rainier Avenue and ending on Alaska Street. The parade consisted of floats, hydroplanes, classic cars and drill teams. Our parade entry was our treasured. 1891 Columbia School Bell, mounted on the back of Burdick Locksmith's pick up truck with one of our members ringing the bell throughout the parade route.

There was lots of food including a Bar B Que Cookoff Contest, and a free kids activity center. There was continuous Entertainment presenting a broad array of jazz, blues, gospel and ethnic music and dance, representative of the diversity of Rainier Valley.

For information on next year's August Summer Fest and Heritage Festival Parade, call the Rainier Chamber of Commerce at 206 725-2010.