CIVILITY AND RESOLUTION NEEDED FOR MINNORA CENTER - Center Is A Jewel In Southern Calhoun

(03/01/2001)
By Bob Weaver

The Minnora Center is an overdue project for southern Calhoun, bringing needed services close to the community, including health care and police protection. Several people, including some of those currently involved with the center, have worked hard to make it work.

It is distressing to observe the in-fighting of community leaders and board members, which could result in the center's collapse. It has been well supported by civic- minded folks, agencies, politicians and business people.

The center's leaders and board members, for justified reasons or not, have found it necessary to choose sides with some holding their coure. In the middle is the future of the center and what is means to the people of the upper West Fork community.

Currently Minnie Hamilton Health Care is providing up-front medical services with their primary care center. The Calhoun County Committee on Aging has just opened a nutrition site to help seniors in the area. The Calhoun Sheriff's Department has opened a sub-station and new deputy Ron Bandy is essentially working from that site, covering southern Calhoun. Calhoun's Emergency Medical Service has placed personnel and ambulance service in the center, cutting response time nearly up to thirty minutes.

Other projects include a one-year computer class for displaced Kellwood workers, an after-school tutoring program, a library, archery club, basketball games and other services and events. What a positive thing.

Additionally, the Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department and the Upper West Fork Park bring special services and events to Washington District, adding to the quality of life in the community.

We would not attempt to assess who is right or wrong in the management of the Minnora Center. There seems to be plenty of blame to go around in the affray, where each group is bent on being "right."

Experience says, however, all the principal parties, the board and certainly the people the center seeks to serve, will be losers unless civility and resolution happens soon.

For starters, focusing on the Mission Statement for the center might help:

"The Mission of the Minnora Community Center is to preserve the former Minnora School building for the benefit of the surrounding community, to enrich the health, welfare and community life of southern Calhoun County.