Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
The gym of the Williamsburg Veteran's Memorial Center. Over the last five years, the building has seen upgrades such as a new roof and freshly painted walls. Mandi Prough said the center personnel wanted the walls painted to make the room look brighter. The next big project is the floor.
The kitchen. Those renting the center before the upgrades didn't have much to work with in the old kitchen. Now, this clean, updated kitchen is just one of the many upgrades. With more fundraisers such as the annual Cash Party, the fire company is looking to add more kitchen equipment to this updated space.
The bathrooms. One of the worst parts of the Community Center before was the bathrooms. Now, according to Williamsburg resident Melody Brumbaugh, the bathroom may be one of the nicest areas. Williamsburg resident Dan Isenberg said of the upgrades, "a lot of time and work has gone in the building."
Wow! Long-awaited. Overdue. Looks good!
Those were some of the remarks about the makeover of the Williamsburg Veteran's Memorial Center, commonly known to us affectionately as the Community Center.
We should all be grateful for what the Williamsburg Volunteer Fire Company did for the center. More than five years ago, the center was almost condemned due to a failing roofing system and many other problems. This was when the Williamsburg Fire Company took on responsibility for the problem.
Enter then-state Representative Judy Ward who said that she "fell in love with Williamsburg." She and the firefighters discussed the building's problems with her and about the grant funding the department applied for to fix the roofing problems.
Ward helped the fire company secure a grant of $90,000. But the roof was only one of the many issues at the Veteran's Memorial Center. The center needed a list of upgrades – a new kitchen, more storage and upgraded bathrooms.
The fire company discussed these upgrades and worked on what was necessary. In 2018, the fire company took out a loan through the Williamsburg Betterment Corp. to help with costs of a new kitchen and upgraded bathrooms.
Thanks to Mock and McConnell Builders of Martinsburg, Prough's Masonry of Williamsburg and members of the fire company – the upgrades became a reality.
Mandi Prough, wife of Second Chief Travis Prough, said there are more upgrades to come – a gym expansion, updated flooring and more kitchen equipment.
All of those who had a hand in this project should be thanked. The Veteran's Memorial Center is now something that Williamsburg can be proud of.
Those interested in more information about renting the Veteran's Memorial Center should contact Mandi Prough at (814) 934-0841.
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