http://rutlandherald.com/article/20150105/NEWS02/701059975
Published January 5, 2015 in the Rutland Herald
Community Center classes suspended over safety concerns
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Community Center, which started life as a machine tool factory, is showing its age.
The town recently suspended the popular ceramics program at the Springfield Senior Center, which is located in the basement of the Main Street building, because of safety concerns.
Town Manager Thomas Yennerell said that the crumbling brick pilasters in the basement were showering debris at times on the ceramics students, and it was decided to suspend the program for the time being.
Yennerell said Friday that he was expecting a structural engineer’s report on what repairs needed to be done to reopen the area, which is located next to the bowling alley in the building’s basement.
He said that both a temporary solution and a long-term solution would be prepared.
He said moving the ceramics program to a different location in the building would be more involved, since moving the kilns would be necessary.
A tour of the affected area Friday revealed crumbling, powdery bricks, which are part of the building’s foundation along the Main Street side of the building. Light was visible in some places between the building’s foundation bricks, and on the outside of the building, the bricks appeared in poor shape.
Springfield Senior Center Director Terri Emerson said that about 30 people, 15 in each class, participate in the ceramics class. Dozens if not hundreds, of ceramics molds fill the rooms, waiting for students.
The Community Center was the first manufacturing home of the Jones & Lamson Machine Tool Co. The building was built in 1888, according to the official survey of the historic downtown area.
The building was converted to a men’s club around 1917, said Keith Eno, assistant recreation director. The recreation department is in charge of the building.
According to the historic survey, the building was given to the town in 1942 by J&L and the Springfield Manufacturers Association.
Eno said that David Hindinger, a structural engineer from Perkinsville, had been evaluating the building earlier in the week.
Yennerell said he believed that until the repairs are completed to the brick pilasters, human activity would be limited in that area.
The town had already put up some plastic sheeting around the crumbling brick to prevent debris from falling down on the ceramics students.
Emerson said she had sent out a letter to the ceramics students explaining the problem, but she noted the problem only affected the ceramics program and not any other programs at the senior center.
“We have no ceramics program at this point until they fix it,” said Emerson, who noted the center still was selling the ceramics students’ past work.
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Here we go with truth coming to light under past town leadership. I have said for a long time and voiced my opinion on here as how to fix these problems.That building should have been condemned years ago and kids play basketball in there. Is it really smart to have 50-60 people upstairs with the pilasters crumbling? Move ALL the community center activities to PARK STREET SCHOOL. Close the old building and spend the money to have what salvage can be made of the wood, the floors, old beams etc and the rest have torn down and parking for the town in that space. PERIOD. The school can deed Park Street school to the town, we take over the gym and theater portion of the building (which is the newer portion) and use those classrooms and gym etc for our programs and put whatever monies into that building. I still say the older portion of Park Street needs to be demolished and parking in that area made. Two Problems solved which both cases improve our town and make economic sense. DOES ANYONE LISTEN IN THIS TOWN? I guess that requires a forward progressive thought process.
ReplyDeleteTruth!
DeleteThat's a great idea. The Park Street gym is fantastic and would be great for community ball. Aesthetically, the community center building is ugly and demolishing it would increase the river view. The added parking that would come from its demolition is such a huge bonus for downtown. Do it!
DeleteJust said the same on the new article posted today!
DeleteMuch more parking and soooo much safer than where it is now.
DeleteBiggest problem 9:37, is it was Your idea.
DeleteNot Theirs.
No wants to pat you on the back.
The big wig(s) want(s) all the back patting.
So kabosh that darn good idea.
Moving the recreation department to Park Street seems like a great idea. There would be more space for more activities and meeting spaces. The auditorium could serve as a venue for concerts, plays, lectures, movies, etc. The old gym could still be a great place for after school and adult leagues....basketball, volleyball, badminton, what have you. There would be many more large rooms available for ceramics, painting studio, game rooms, meeting rooms, workout rooms, computer rooms. The senior meals program could even be moved to the old school cafeteria and kitchen. There could even possibly be space usable for the collections which are currently housed at the Miller Art center. Unlike Anonymous 9:37, I would advocate keeping the older part of the building and moving all of the town hall and school administration functions to that space with a future goal of moving the police department back to the old town hall building, so there would be a much more visible police presence downtown, as a deterrent to the blatant drug activity taking place on and around Main Street.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your suggestions Mr./Mrs. moneybags. Of course we know we can't count on you to pony up the $$$ that would be spent on such whimsy!
DeleteWell negative nancy 11:28 their really isn't a choice is there? We can shut the building to the public because it is unsafe and suspend the activities that it holds including the senior services, OR we can move the operations to park street which actually still has some viable life expectancy to it. Since the taxpayers pay for both buildings this shouldn't be difficult. It can be accomplished by a simple life lease from the school district to the town. It is a very simple process actually. NOW-since you are so quick to throw the snide comments around about pony up the money...the rec center has an account with 80k in it for repairs. Instead of throwing good TAXPAYER funds on a building that should have been torn down 25 years ago and is undoubtedly an eyesore when driving into town..that money can go towards updating and upkeep in the school building. How much money do you think moving some equipment and outdated desks is going to take? Second, the cost to demolish it would not be that great once architectural salvage companies stripped it of its beams etc. Which on the retain market are worth quite a bit along with the flooring etc. We seem to think we have the money to fund razing personal properties we don't deem fit them we need to walk the walk and talk the talk on our public buildings which are deemed unfit. Plain and simple. So pound some sand with your negative attitude and comments!
DeleteIf you look at the budgets and see that the money is here. It is the way it is being spent. Bandaid after bandaid put on buildings that are falling in on the selves. We need to make sure we are not over paying employees on the town payroll and clean up the many loose ends. So 11:28 offer some positive ideas.
DeleteLike 9:32
DeleteWhy not take your idea to the Planning Commission?
ReplyDeleteI believe the last committee appointed by the School Board to look into uses for Park St School suggested moving the community center to Park St. School and were basically ignored. This seems to be par for the course. Ask citizens to take their time to research and make recommendations and then dismiss their suggestions.
ReplyDeleteWell, run it by the powers that be and see if "ignore" is the root word of "ignoramus."
DeleteI was on that committee and suggested these ideas. People looked at me like I was crazy. They shut this committee down so quick after we presented our ideas. I even interviewed town officials. I was told to stop because I was ruffling feathers. We need to consolidate and live within our means here. Then we can have a building to be proud of Park street.
DeleteI will say it again.
DeleteIt was Not THEIR idea.
I have seen it time and time again, especially in the work place.
Not the boss's idea, then it is not a good idea.
See if there's someone on the Planning Commission who's not an ignoramus, and run it by them. Maybe they'll go to bat for you.
DeleteWasn't there suppose to be a community center built next to the pool/gym?
ReplyDeleteThe community center is a public building with no elevator. It is not even ADA compliant. I have seen many people turn around and go home because they can not make it up the stairs to watch family play basketball. Also what community center has traffic 8 ft from the entry door going 35 mph. To many kids run out the front doors and are just feet from being hit.
ReplyDeleteAnd just think, it's been in productive use for dozens of years in spite of all those inconveniences and risks that you cite. Bottom line: many, many more people have gone into the facility and used it for its intended purpose than have had to "...turn around and go home...". Quit carping!
DeleteSays the person who doesn't have a child who uses a wheel chair in their family.
DeleteYou would be the first person to complain if your kid was hit by a car or if you had a disabled family member. It is just time to retire this building. I know it won't be easy so wipe away your tears and step aside. Look around the surounding communities. Now those are real community centers. If you want to see a nice center go to Windsor.
DeleteAt this point it is irrelevant whether the building is ADA compliant. It is caving in and is unsafe. NOW-I will say this. The negative person who states who cares if it is ADA compliant is an idiot. Probably one of springfields finest citizens who believes that laws don't apply to them just as springfield has operated for the last century. So their opinion doesn't matter. Unfortunately, someone who needs ADA compliance has never sued the town for the non-compliance issue and maybe it is time. Don't push too hard idiot cause it may backfire on you. It still remains clear that this building needs to be torn down. Its time. It doesn't matter what it once was or how it served the town. Its too expensive to repair and it isn't worth it. If the parks and rec were doing the town proud they would have been repairing the windows and rechinking the building years ago. TIME TO RAZE IT!
Delete11:25 I will be the first person to push the elevator button for you. When and if you are in a wheel chair and unable to do so.
DeleteTo say nothing about us old folks trying to get across that street without being hit five days a week. scary
DeleteCan't anybody in this sick old town agree and work together? No! Nothing ever gets done.
ReplyDeleteWhat you need to understand is there are two clearly distinct, polarly opposed elements here defined as, the Makers and the Takers. I believe the published demographics list approx 50%-60% of the population as being on the receiving end of benefits. The rest of us schmucks are stuck bankrolling them as they selfishly vote for every amenity offered. Now tell me why I should "work together" to fund these parasites?
Delete10:55 AM, could you cite the source for your "published demographics"? www.towndesktop.com/springfield-vt/html reports: Estimated population, 2,917 residents, with 65% in the labor force (1,897) of which 2.8% (38) are unemployed. Residents under the age of 19: 26%, or 758; over the age of 65, 15.4%, or 449.
DeleteAdd these two latter percentages-- since they must all be "takers," either too young to work or loafing on their grossly undeserved Social Security and/or union pension benefits-- and you do come up with 41.4%-- about 20 to 50 percent below the figure your sources claim.
As "takers" of course, they must be punished. Why not get rid of the extravagance of the town plows and have them shovel the streets after every snowfall, while we "makers" jeer at them?
Plus of course the voter fraud! I always wondered why they offered step-up stools in the voting booths. Bonnie Greer, the town clerk at the time, told me they were for the voters under the age of six.
I'm with you solidly on this one! Why should we "work together" to fund those parasites?
7:11, if you like Windsor's community center so much, please feel free to either go and use it or move there, or both!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the likes of those who embrace every lame brained spending idea is that they haven't recognized that Springfield is a town that has already run out of other people's money to spend. Of course, that doesn't stop the lame brained from wanting to pick-pocket taxpayers yet again for some white elephant that they perceive can cure all of the town's ills.
There are plenty of worthwhile alternatives in this poverty-ridden town that can fulfill the limited needs until the day that the town restores its economic base and can afford capital construction outlays. The existing schools, churches, clubs, "wreck" center, and soon-to-be boondoggle state park at Muckross have plenty of capacity to meet the interim need.
And if those facilities aren't good enough for you, then I suggest you do consider moving to Windsor - or points beyond!
You are right they are not good enough. We can all do so much better. Please offer your constructive ideas and make them happen. Wait you have NONE....
ReplyDeleteHere's one: Move to Windsor where your full potential for feeding at the public trough can be realized!
DeleteHey mediator how about you blow the whistle both ways and let my post go through.
ReplyDelete