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Sunol center in need of repair

The Sunol School building, now the Sunol Community Center, is like a moment frozen in time. Pictures of past graduating seniors still cover the walls; books still line the library shelves; the trophies earned by athletes and students still sit proudly in display cases. The gymnasium, complete with a stage, is in great condition and waiting for people to attend events.

But the building needs help. The plaster is falling from the ceilings on the upper floors as a reminder of the resulting leaks due to roof damage from a hail storm a few years ago.

The president of the Sunol Community Board Officers (SCBO), Clinton Hodges, thinks that what the building needs most is a younger generation to take an interest in the beautiful old building so that options may be explored about what to do with it.

The SCBO are asking for input from the community about the Sunol Community Center (SCC). The SCC is in need of repairs or demolition to make way for a new building. The option to use the building the way it is until it can’t be used any longer is possible. If lack of interest is shown, the center may be closed. This could result in further deterioration of the building.

In addition to the needed plaster repair, the building is settling on the north side so cracks are beginning to develop in the bricks on the outside.

If the decision is made to demolish the old building and construct another building--possibly smaller and easier to heat and clean--funding options for the replacement building will be explored.

At the April 5 meeting, board officers made the decision to ask the community for help in deciding.

The board officers are asking for everyone in the community to come together and discuss what to do about the building on Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. at the community center. All opinions will be heard.

Hodges says that what they are trying to do is see if enough interest is generated amongst the community members to pick up their share of the help. If not, he says, they will progress from there.

Hodges added that the board officers haven’t gathered much information about costs of repairs or rebuilding, they are just trying to see what the community wants to do with the building for now. He added that it is a shame for the building to go to waste.

Hodges was on the Sunol school board from 1975 until the last classes were held in 1993. The high school grades ended in 1986, but the kindergarten through eighth grade continued until lack of students caused the phase-out of grades seven and eight in 1988.

Hodges said that the school was closed completely in 1993 because of the LB 662, which required the operators of the building to make everything handicapped accessible by way of elevators or ramps.

Because of the logistics of things, it was easier to just close the school and the board members decided to use the building as a community center.

Since the building became the SCC in 1993, Hodges says that the same four or five people have been involved in the decision making, cleaning and activities. He says it is time for new people to join in and do their share.

People from surrounding areas are encouraged to get involved. The board officers are all-volunteer it is a non-profit organization. They members have put generous amounts of their own money into the roof repair and the other upkeep of the building.

When the building is rented out for weddings, reunions and other functions, the money goes toward the upkeep and repairs of the building. The rental cost for non-alcoholic functions is $50 per day-long event, with a couple of extra days thrown in free of charge to decorate and prepare and an extra day to clean up afterward. If the function will be with alcohol, the charge is $50 extra.

Hodges asks everyone who is interested in the future of the building to please attend the April 28 meeting at 3:00 p.m. at the SCC.

 

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