Soup supper, music, basketball and dance team planned
Thanks to the hard work of volunteers and construction workers, the school building known as the old Scranton gym has been transformed into a vibrant Community Center, available to residents and guests for meetings and activities.
The building will be open Saturday evening when the Scranton Betterment Committee and Community Center advisory board host their annual soup supper and six-on-six basketball game.
Soup will be served from 5 to 7 pm for a free will offering. The Town and Country Band will perform starting at 5:45 pm and the color guard from American Legion Post No. 11 and VFW Post No. 9599 will present the flag at 6:30.
Fans of the old-fashioned six-on-six girls basketball game will enjoy the nightcap. The Hwy 30 Drifters are challenging the Greene County Women to a contest.
As a special treat, the Glidden-Ralston Dance Team will perform at half time. There will be a silent auction of items, with the bidding ending at half time. Other fun events are planned including a trivia contest and more.
A major renovation to the facility is nearing completion. This evening is an opportunity for Scranton residents and guests to view the progress on the project.
The Scranton gym, lunchroom and music room were turned over to the city of Scranton in February of 2010. An advisory board was appointed by the city council that fall.
Since that time, a number of demolition projects and remodeling have occurred.
The old music room’s tiered floor was dismantled. The room was painted and new carpet installed. This room is used as a meeting room by the city council as well as other organizations.
The Jefferson-Scranton school district demolished the three story portion of the building during the summer of 2012.
A new energy efficient heating and cooling system was installed throughout the facility in the fall of 2012.
The gymnasium has been transformed thanks to refinishing the floor in the fall of 2013 and new LED lighting installed in 2014. The lighting is much brighter, yet energy efficient. The flooring on the stage was also refinished.
New volleyball equipment was acquired and has been well used in the gym. New mats were installed. A gym floor cover system has been purchased to protect the wooden floor when non-athletic events are held in the gym.
The entrance between the lunch room and the old music room has been finished with new walls and carpeting.
On the exterior, a new concrete driveway and sidewalks have been installed along the south and east sides of the building. White rock off-street parking areas have been created southeast of the building. Exterior lighting has been improved in this area as well.
Some exterior brick work has been completed along with the replacement of selected doors and windows.
The Greene County School District continues to utilize the facility as a bus stop and for some junior high and sub-varsity contests throughout the school year.
The next project that is currently underway is the renovation of the kitchen and lunch room areas. The floor tile in the lunchroom has been replaced and walls are being refinished. The old kitchen is being retrofitted to better serve the needs of the Community Center.
To fund all this work, grants and donations have been obtained including the Greene County Community Foundation, Louis Dreyfus Commodities Fund, Jefferson Rotary Club and Iowa Network Services.
The Scranton Varceis Club and American Athletic/Spalding in Jefferson have donated money and items for the center. The Scranton Alumni Association has been working with the advisory board to sell commemorative bricks from the old school to benefit the center. Other groups and individuals have generously contributed resources as well.
Grant writing is continuing and the center is always on the lookout for additional sources for support. Donations are always welcome.
Members of the SCC advisory board are Gale Zellweger, Doug Hawn, Dawn Rudolph, Lois Peterson and Cheryl Robson. A member of the Scranton city council completes the board.
These volunteers are eager to showcase the work completed and the progress being made on other projects. “Saturday night is a good time to eat a meal, view the improvements, watch a basketball game and visit with friends at the newly renovated Scranton Community Center. Don’t miss it,” a spokesperson said. ~The Scranton Journal
