Community center needed work

Twenty-five years ago this week, a group was working to raise money to make improvements at Bryant Area Community Center.

A story in the Dec. 3, 1993, edition of The Commercial Review noted that the building was in need of funding for a variety of repairs. Originally constructed in the early 1950s as the Bryant High School gym, it had continued to serve the town as a community center since the school’s closure in 1975.

“The roof was leaking terribly,” said Bryant Area Community Club treasurer Sara Stults. “We’ve patched it to last the winter, but we’re going to have to do some major repair work in the spring.”

In addition to the roof, the building was also in need of a new furnace. And it also needed to be brought into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including a major overhaul for restrooms.

Club members had raised some funds for the project and had been approved for a matching grant from The Portland Foundation.

In order to raise more money, a craft show and bazaar was scheduled for later in the week. The club was also accepting donations, which could be specified to go toward a specific part of the improvement project.