The stage in the gym, which used to be blocked off with a wall separating it from the gym, is now opened up and soon will be ready for performances. Locker rooms in the gym are being worked on, too, and old trophies from previous sporting events are being retrieved and displayed in the main hallway of the building.
Twelve classrooms will be available for people to rent out for baby showers, meetings, family reunions or club meetings.
Bates said second-, third- and fourth-grade textbooks that were left behind are being offered to the five Amish schools in the county. What isn't taken will be recycled. A Danville church is getting a lot of poster board, markers, Play-Doh and crayons that were left behind.
Books will remain in library
The library still has shelves full of children's books that will stay where they are for kids to read. Adams hopes to have someone chaperone the library frequently so children can use it, possibly after school and during the summer.
Bates said the community center will not only benefit the community of Waynesburg, but the county and surrounding counties. With events like basketball leagues; volleyball tournaments; car, tractor and motorcycle shows; gospel singing; music festivals; wrestling events; and antique road shows, Bates hopes it will draw lots of use by county residents.
Other events the board and committee hope to organize include Bluegrass festivals, Halloween carnivals and programs, Easter egg hunts, arts and crafts classes, quilt shows, flea markets, carnivals, corn hole tournaments, food and clothing drives, a history museum, rook and pool tournaments, sock hops and political rallies.
The detached building beside the school that was used for younger students is being considered for a day care, Adams said.
Ideas are plentiful, but volunteers have to get the facility up to code first. Adams said they are waiting on someone from the state to come out and take a look at the sewer system to make sure it is properly working. Once that is complete, they are ready to open.
Prices for renting space have not been determined yet, but Adams said it will be hourly. He said they're not trying to make money, just pay the bills.
"There is no salary whatsoever paid out of this community center," Adams said. "Everything in life doesn't have to have a price tag on it." He's involved so he can say, "I helped the future of Lincoln County survive."
People of the south-end of Lincoln County are a "proud bunch of people," and he knows they want to see the community center succeed as well.
