Contribute to community's future and help Head Start

Sandpoint Head Start quietly goes about its business serving 50-plus needy families a year.

But now they are ready to make some noise.

Until recently, director Verna Gabel thought about razing the historical old green and cream building sitting at the corner of Euclid and Pine streets and putting up a modern, new building.

But after a discussion with her good friend Marilyn Sabella, who serves on the Idaho Heritage Trust board, she changed her mind. An architect has taken a look at the building and determined that it is structurally sound, but the old siding has holes in it and the old shingle roof is leaky.

A project is under way to put about $53,000 into a new roof, siding and paint on the building that began its life in 1905 as the First Baptist Church and has been home to the Odd Fellows.

Friday, Windermere Resort Lifestyles of Sagle will kick off a fundraising campaign to restore the building.

Employees of the business will be hanging out along Pine Street, flower pots in hand, asking that people donate money to this project. Expect to see them from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you are interested, you can even stop and lend a hand with the fund-raising efforts.

The goal is to raise enough money to at least replace the building's roof this summer. But as we all know, construction and material costs continue to increase and the longer it takes to raise money for this project, the more money it will take to complete the work.

As Sandpoint undergoes some major growth-related changes, there are people who are committed to retaining the community's turn-of-the-century history.

If you do not get a chance to make your way to south Sandpoint Friday, contributions can be sent to Sandpoint Head Start, 101 S. Euclid, Sandpoint.