Vintage hall needs urgent renovation
Marcus Templeman, who has spent three years in Beavers and two years in Cubs with the Sidney Guide and Scout organization, checks out some of the mold and rot problems on the stairs at the Sidney Guide and Scout Hall.
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The local Sidney Guide and Scout Hall is in desperate need of major repairs, and the organization is hoping the community can help get them done.
“We can’t risk any further problems developing with the entrance to the building,” said Angie Fierro, treasurer of the Sidney Guide and Scout chapter. “We’re asking the generous people of our community — many who have fond memories of the hall — to come forward and help us out.”
The historic Matthews Hall, located at the corner of Third Street and Bevan Avenue in Sidney, has been at that location since 1971, when community volunteers came together to move it to that spot. Since then the local Guide and Scout groups — Sparks, Beavers, Brownies, Cubs, Guides, Scouts, Pathfinders, and Venturers — have made many years of memories in the hall, and there are currently 125 children and more than 30 volunteers using the site. But now the building is showing its age and in order for programs to safely continue, repairs are urgent.
Top of the list for repair are the double set of entrance stairs. “Last spring, a step gave way,” Fierro said. One side of the steps was closed, and a child’s father, a carpenter, came out to investigate the problem. When he tore away the cover on the underside of the stairs, the culprit was found: extensive rot in the wood. Although the father did reinforce the stairs, Fierro said, “It’s still rotted, and it’s only a matter of time. It’s quite important to get it done.” The stairs, she said, will need $9,000 in funds to replace.
The Guide and Scout organization covers day-to-day costs for the hall by leasing the bottom floor to the Sidney Preschool, but Fierro said that larger costs — the stairs, and, in the future, heating upgrades and a new hot water tank — are beyond their budget. Any increase in the Guide and Scout groups’ annual contribution, she noted, would have a detrimental effect on their programming abilities.
“The situation is urgent,” said Fierro. “We’re really hoping donors can come through as soon as possible.”
editor@peninsulanewsreview.com
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