Waiteville Community Center was happy to receive a check for $12,000 to establish an Emergency Center for citizens living in Waiteville and Potts Valley. Photo by Bruce Blaylock.
Pam Dudding Contributing writer
Small communities depend on one another to make it through many tough times. At times, the need is at an all-time high.
The Waiteville community works diligently in providing for one another. The Waiteville Community Center is a facility where all the community events are held, and more and more are being scheduled as the COVID pandemic decreases.
Good news came at the Board of Directors Meeting on November 9 when Kevin Mann, Monroe County Commissioner, presented Waiteville Community Center Inc. a check for $12,000 for establishing an Emergency Center for citizens living in Waiteville and Potts Valley.
“The former Waiteville School Building is the only building within 30-miles that is large enough to house and feed community residents during severe storms and power outages,” Treasurer David Furrow shared. “Currently, when power to the community is severed, the Waiteville Community Center also does not have electricity.”
In addition, during winter months (December through early March), water pipes must be drained due to a lack of heat to prevent freezing pipes and water damage.
“The $12,000 granted to Waiteville Community Center was made possible through assistance from Commissioner Mann, Roy Cooper, WV Delegate for District 28, and Roger Hanshaw, Speaker of the WV House of Delegates,” he added. “We appreciate their support of small communities in Monroe County.”
The Board of Directors plan to use the grant as partial funding for a generator that will afford electricity during power outages.
They noted that additional funding of approximately $15,000 will be needed to fully fund and install the generator and propane tank.
Contributions toward reaching the Waiteville Community Center Inc. goal of providing emergency services for Waiteville citizens are needed.
If you are interested in making a contribution to this project, contact David Furrow at 304-772-3060, waiteville@frontier.com or via mail at 3869 Waiteville Rd, Waiteville WV 24984.
More updates include:
- The Hunter’s Dinner held on November 21 was successful as $550 was raised from the sale of meals and donations with special thanks going out to the community members who donated homemade cookies and brownies, bought and sold raffle tickets, helped with serving food, and prepared the community center for the event and a big thanks to Taste of Eggcellence for making the BBQ and sides for the meal
- Raffle tickets sales for the CZ 612 Field shotgun netted $1,786. Tim Dunbar of New Castle was the lucky winner. All proceeds will go toward the maintenance fund as they continue upgrades of the Waiteville Community Center
- A supporter donated ten new basement windows ($800 value) for the building and then another supporter, Pete Wimmer, volunteered his time, tools, and materials to install the new windows as Bruce Blaylock and David Furrow assisted. The total project time was 32-hours between the trio and total cost to the WCC was $100
- More good news is that the overhead lighting in the main room, kitchen, and men’s bathroom needed new LED bulbs and ballasts which were installed by Leroy Schrock, another supporter, who completed the project with assistance from David Furrow. Total project time was 16 hours between the duo and total cost to the WCC was $430 (68 bulbs, one new light switch, wire, and half a day’s labor). Leroy donated the other half-day of labor to the project.
“With the new bulbs, the lights come on properly now and provide better quality lighting,” WCC said. “The four bulbs and two ballasts in each light fixture (17 total) had to be removed and the fixture rewired to accommodate the new lights. The new windows really look good too! Thanks to all that were involved!”
