Social - December 2003

Center awarded state grant

Howards Creek buildings receive $40,000

By ALICE SMITH, Staff Writer

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HOWARDS CREEK — Two buildings that are hubs of activity for one west Lincoln community recently received a boost from the state.

The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources awarded the Howards Creek Community Building a $40,000 grant to be used for history and cultural programming and repairs.

“We’re delighted to get it,” said Caroline Harmon, a member of the Howards Creek Community Center Supporters. “It’s just a source of pride for us to have something in this community we think is very usable and very attractive.”

The community building is located in the cafeteria section of the old Howards Creek Elementary School. The other part of the school belongs to the Vietnam Veterans of Lincoln County.

The two groups will divide up the $40,000, said Erma Deen Hoyle, director the of Lincolnton/Lincoln County Recreation Department.

Both buildings are constantly in use by community members. They can be rented out through the Recreation Department for functions like wedding receptions, family reunions and other meetings.

The veterans’ building is larger, so it’s used for a lot of receptions, Randy Davis said.

“It seems like every week we’ve had it rented out for the past few months,” he said.

Girl and boy scout groups also hold weekly meetings in the buildings, and the veterans and community center supporters meet on a regular basis.

Both groups put in long hours and hard work to renovate and repair their buildings. Community members donated their time and money to get the centers open.

Yard sales and bake sales brought in $18,000 for the community building, which just celebrated its 10 year anniversary in March. Fund-raisers are held each spring.

But there’s still a lot of work to be done, and both groups want their buildings to be in tip-top shape for community use.

While no specific plans have been made on how to spend the money, group members do have ideas.

The community building needs to be repainted, Harmon said.

The veterans’ building needs bathroom repairs and new aluminum siding, Davis said.

Both structures have a critical need for a new water source.

Davis hopes county water will be available to the area soon. A 1,500-gallon holding tank has been getting the center by for some time, but it’s in desperate need of a sufficient source.

The most important thing to both groups is keeping the tradition and history of the building and community alive.

“It has a rich history of the community, and we’re proud of it,” Harmon said.

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For information on renting out either building, call the Recreation Department at 704-735-2671.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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