The Old and the Beautiful

Twenty-one years ago, I was pregnant with my first-born child. Growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a mommy and here I was, finally anticipating and excitedly preparing for my own baby! I carefully chose my baby’s crib based on design, color, functionality and our budget. When the baby’s room was complete, I made up the bed and took pictures. Then when our precious son was born, I carefully laid him in his crib and stared at this beautiful baby boy we had been blessed with. As he grew, our second born, a daughter, also slept in that crib. By the time our third child came home, adopted at 2 years old, he wanted nothing to do with the crib, so we stored it away. As the years went by, that crib collected dust in the garage rafters. Then, we rented a dumpster and cleaned out the shed, the garage and the basement of things old or broken down. We looked at the crib. It was more than 10 years old, out of date, dusty and scratched up, with a few bite marks from children on the railing. By today’s standards, it’s not safe anymore because it’s outdated. We can’t sell it or even give it away, and it’s not worth paying money to get it up to code for any child. My heart skips a beat as I have flashbacks of each of my babies sleeping, jumping, crying, and reaching for me, in that crib. I love that old crib. We made the decision that day to put it in the dumpster, not because it wasn’t loved, well-used, or taken care of, but because it was past it’s time. We had good use of it and what’s more important is that my children were safe in that crib, it served its purpose and now they are grown. When they have their own babies, they will purchase new cribs (and I may have to get one for Grandma’s house!) I have pictures and memories of our previous home, my children’s bedrooms, and the old crib, and I love that. Yet, it’s just material, it’s not eternal and ultimately, it’s not important. My children are.

Last evening, the school board voted to cease negotiations with FOHS, LLC and demolish the existing high school buildings not previously reserved, and will thus maintain the green space for future use by the school district. This decision was met with contemplation and understanding for how difficult this will be for community members. Two weeks ago, at the school board work session, the Community Task Force presented the recommendation for the above vote, much to my surprise. To explain this difficult decision in more detail, here is what we know: 1. this process started about 1.5 years ago 2. FOHS, LLC was the only entity to come forth with a marketable business plan 3. the FOHS plan was full of questions and unknowns 4. the plan was opposed by many households neighboring the current OHS building 5. an organization that works to restore old buildings was involved for opinion, but could make no guarantees about restoration of the building 6. cost of demolition continues to rise and is significantly higher today than it was 18 months ago 7. many task force members that invested hours of time into this project had a goal of keeping the old building but in the end, made the conclusion that it was best to demolish 8. the cost of keeping the building open and functional is expensive (utilities approx $33,000/month) even while it sits empty after 2023 graduation 9. the cost to renovate and keep the structure up to code and safe for use by anyone is extremely high and maybe unattainable 10. the school district will take some items from the current site (lamp posts, donated items, building crest) and preserve them. 11. the district is working with online auction companies to sell the furniture items not needed in the new building that are in good condition, and the staff have been advised to not throw things away if they have potential use left.

Now, I drive by the old building and keep the memory in my mind. I won’t be there when the wrecking ball comes, but I can look forward to what is to come. I am eager to see the new high school. Fall 2023 will be an exciting time for our high school students to begin a new school year, with many memories to be made while old and beautiful memories are preserved!