Club grand opening set for Dec. 31 Published Dec. 4, 2009 By Louella Anderson 56th Force Support Squadron LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Brig. Gen. Kurt Neubauer, 56th Fighter Wing commander, announced Dec. 31 as the date for the new Luke Air Force Base collocated club grand opening. Plans for this event on New Year's Eve include a ribbon cutting, dinner, games, door prizes and entertainment in the Officer's Lounge, Enlisted Lounge and Ballroom. Events culminate with a traditional New Year's Eve breakfast just after the New Year's toast. The grand opening, previously planned for Oct. 30 was delayed for several reasons. The facelift expanded from just a back bar renovation to the hallways, main bar and ballroom which increased the initial cost beyond the base level approval authority from $200,000 to $500,000. The 56th Civil Engineer Squadron also received unexpected funding for roof, parking lot and HVAC repairs, most of which were completed in early October. The renovation contract was awarded in mid October and the construction completion date is Dec. 21. Both club facilities will close Dec. 20 through 30 to, train club staff, fine-tune new club programs and prepare for the grand opening. Tasting event: Chef Fritz Isme presented more than 42 menu items to 55 Luke officers, enlisted personnel, civilians and retirees last month at the first-ever Luke clubs tasting event. Participants tasted potential catering menu entrees, desserts, soups and salads, and voted on their favorites. Guests rated each item on a scale from one to 10. Items receiving an average score of six or more will be featured on the catering menu. With the addition of a special quiche' dish and several new vegetarian items, the new club catering menu will offer our members a variety of Chef Fritz's most delicious choices. New club name announced: General Neubauer will announce the new club name at 3:30 p.m. today at the former Desert Star Club marquee. Luke personnel submitted 236 potential names during the 56th Force Support Squadron club naming contest. Along with announcing the new club name, General Neubauer will also present a vacation package for four to the contest winner. Following the naming event, the 56th Force Support Squadron will host the annual Holiday Magic extravaganza beginning at 5 p.m. Families are invited to attend both events and be ready for another snowy Dec. 4 at Luke Air Force Base. Club calendar of events: The annual club calendar is posted on the LukeServices.com Web site. Calendars for January through May 2010 will be posted at least one month in advance. The Lukeservices.com magazine and Thunderbolt will also keep club members up-to-date on the grand opening event. We continue to solicit input for new club programs and look forward to the unveiling of the new benchmark club of the Air Force.