Our Almanor Recreation Center is about to undergo a change!
I am very excited to announce the Almanor Recreation Center will be undergoing some very positive changes. The Center will be taken off line for a few months, starting the first week in January, in order to allow for much needed improvements.
Once again our community has stepped forward with the offer of help where help is badly needed. It has formed a team of volunteers who are willing to donate their time and skills to enhance what they see as a valuable resource to the Almanor Basin. This type of spirit is what makes living in our small, mountain community so wonderful!
The Center was originally constructed with grant funding. There were a number of things that were not completed due to lack of money, as well as the need to complete construction within the timelines of the grant. Since completion, we have been looking for opportunities to finish the work we began almost eight years ago; however, the County budget never presented the ability to fund the work.
When the senior nutrition site was closed in Greenville a few years ago, we were able to get their kitchen equipment donated to the Center. This equipment has been stored, awaiting the day that Plumas County could fund and complete that phase of the work. Last June, the County budget process presented an opportunity and money was allocated to the upgrade. While the funding will cover the costs of materials, the project would be unattainable without the dedicated community volunteers.
Changes will include an upgrade to the kitchen, electrical service, exterior lighting and any other needs that we are able to address within the resources available, in the labor pool and money. The Center will continue to be a work in progress, and someday, a future phase will include completion of the parking lot. The present phase of work has been scheduled for the winter months when the volunteers are available during our “off-season”.
While planning work for the Center, it became obvious that we needed to include the Memorial Hall in a coordinated approach at best utilizing both without redundancy. Achieving a balance between the two facilities is indeed a challenge. There is never a lack of needs and wants; only a lack of available dollars. Future upgrades to Memorial Hall, which serves many community needs as well as that of our designated emergency shelter, will certainly enhance her functionality. Improvements to the Recreation Center and Memorial Hall will be evaluated in a coordinated manner so as to compliment one another. This work is truly a community driven project.
Please revisit my blog as we progress with the plans for the Memorial Hall and her role in our community.
The Center will be unavailable for any use during this time; individuals and groups who regularly use it shall be directed to the Memorial Hall. Although work on the ARC will continue to be a work in progress as time, funding and community support allow, it is such a pleasure to finally see this phase, scheduled for months and planned for years finally becoming a reality!