By Jennifer L. Johnson - jennifer.johnson@onlineathens.com
Published Thursday, September 16, 2010
The committee charged with restoring the Winterville High School building and turning it into a senior center will hold a workshop with city officials later this month to figure out how to proceed now that they've won a $500,000 state grant for the project.
The grant money awarded last week is roughly one-third of what it would take to complete the project, according to committee members.
In applying for the grant, city leaders agreed to spend sales tax money to extend a sanitary sewer to the school building and its adjacent 450-seat auditorium. Some officials now want to wait until November - when they will know whether voters agree to extend a 1 percent sales tax - before they accept the grant.
The city could reject the grant and not build the sewer, but even with the $500,000, Winterville still would need about $174,000 to finish the senior center in the school building.
To close that funding gap, the restoration committee may form an official nonprofit to apply for grants and solicit donations. The nonprofit foundation also could oversee community resources such as the school and auditorium, Carter-Coile Country Doctors' Museum and the Winterville Depot.
"Right now, we're looking into models of how other small communities function under umbrella nonprofit foundations to manage their civic programs," said Jo Mercer, who sits on the restoration committee. "Nothing is certain. We're simply exploring the options - and there are many."
Citizens may attend the workshop, which will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 in the Winterville Depot.
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday, September 16, 2010
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