Despite April showers, over 100 faces were smiling in April 4 when Northampton County dedicated its centralized human services building, located at 2801 Emrick Blvd. in Bethlehem Township.

Former County Executive John Stoffa, who lobbied hard for this project over eight years, had called it a commitment to 18,000 county residents "who did not choose to get a mental illness; citizens who did not plan on being born with an intellectual disability; persons who never expected to become addicted to drugs or alcohol; children who did not ask to be sexually abused or physically harmed by their caretakers; and all of us who are aging, one day at a time, to the point that someday we will need someone to help us dress or eat."

His successor, John Brown, put it even more simply than the laconic Stoffa. "We care." He also credited Stoffa, who became teary-eyed before he left, calling the building the "capstone of a career dedicated to the service of others."

It's a three-story, 66,375 square-foot building on 5.36 acres, with 256 parking places, being leased at a cost of about a million dollars a year in rent. After five years, the county can purchase the property.

Human services in Northampton County were previously performed at Easton's Governor Wolf Building and Bethlehem's Martin J. Bechtel Building. Both needed about $4.3 million in capital repairs over the next five years.

The Wolf Building was plagued by caving ceiling, lead paint, asbestos and even guano. The Bechtel building lacked security.

Both of these buildings have since been sold for nearly $3.5 million, about $700,000 more than had been projected by consultant Ken Mohr. Sale proceeds have been dedicated to improvements at the new facility.

In addition to housing human services, the building will serve as a satellite revenue office and will house the juvenile probation department.

Stoffa reminded everyone of Hubert Humphrey's moral test of government - "how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped."

He believes Northampton County can now say it passes that test calling the state-of-the-art facility the finest in the state and perhaps, the finest in the country.

"It's not just a building," Stoffa said. "It's a re-dedication of our services to the people of Northampton County."

Construction was finished in just 10 months.

"Under budget and ahead of schedule," Council President Peg Ferraro reminded everyone.

"After eight years, we did it!" said builder Jim Gentile.

"Like giving birth to an elephant," Stoffa joked.

Children Youth and Family Caseworker Kathy Dilts called the new building "simplicity in an otherwise confusing system." She stated that morale among workers has greatly improved, a fact that seemed to be borne out by a subsequent tour.

"I love it," Drug and Alcohol's Jane Roma said. "Everything is so new."