The James A. Garfield Historical Society meeting on April 15 hosted two guests–Jim Shank, who brought information on the county’s revolving loan fund (terms and requirements for projects) and Tommie Jo Marsilio, county commissioner, offering similar commentary on possible undertakings involving county support. Re-roofing of the Mott Building and the preservation of the Foote property (Pauls’ grist mill location) are under consideration; both will require exploration of financial resources available and specific estimates and planning. Demolition, asbestos removal, roof replacement, restrictions of historical registry were all part of the discussion. No easy tasks are on the horizon and money doesn’t grow on trees.
Debbie Smith is pursuing a number of fund-raising possibilities, one of the most intriguing of which was the consideration of having a historical (NOT hysterical) sleep-over at the Mott building for a younger set of history buffs. More on these proposals at a later date; focus on the approaching SummerFest.
Lynn Fry reported that Tom Hatch of the Kent Historical Society is willing to arrange a tour of that group’s facilities and collections. Jessica Edwards will be investigating bids for the roofing project; contractors need to be fully apprised of the existing conditions and the desired outcome so that bids can be judged on an “apples to apples” basis. The board of directors will continue to investigate the ongoing possibilities of the Foote Building undertaking, focusing on the availability of grant money rather than borrowing.
Mike Maschek has made available a donation of items recovered in the Irwin Hardware Building upgrade. The donation of a report on the status of the James A. Garfield Schools in 1965 was accepted.
Still looking for Daddy Warbucks.
