Old Town Hall gets facelift

One small step in the rejuvenation of Old Town Hall has been completed in plenty of time for Deutsches Fest. Old Town Hall Rejuvenation Society members waited impatiently for the weather to cool before Midnight Finishing of Davenport could make repairs to the front steps. Passersby will notice a beautiful finish on the steps, the removal of a trip hazard between the steps and the sidewalk, and the repair of some very unsightly cracks in both the sides of the steps and the face of the building itself.

The Society had originally planned to also be able to repair all the cracks in the building’s exterior and to put a fresh coat of paint on it prior to Deutsches Fest, but time, money and volunteers were all in short supply. The group has postponed that phase of the project until spring, when they hope they will be able to complete phase I of the exterior facelift.

In the meantime, the group has begun offering brass nameplates, which will be mounted to wooden display plaques in exchange for donations of $25 or more to the rejuvenation efforts. The 18 initial donations, some made in memory of loved ones and some simply from individuals, should be on display by Fest. Also, raffle tickets are available for a quilt donated by Laura Estes. The blue and yellow quilt is on display at Experience Quilts!, where raffle tickets are also available. The drawing is to be held September 21, 2014.

Next steps in the list of improvements to be made to the building, scheduled to be completed by this time next year, are replacement of the ramp to the dining hall and replacement of the ground floor windows.

Anyone who wishes to be involved with the rejuvenation project is encouraged to attend meetings, which are scheduled for the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Old Town Hall dining room. Donations or memorial gifts may be made to: Old Town Hall Rejuvenation Society, P.O. Box 61, Odessa, WA 99159.