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Name: Helen D. Gunderson
Category: Former Rolfe student
Year: 1963
Contact: gunderson@globalccs.net
Remote Name: 207.199.197.31
Date: February 02, 2006
Time: 12:10 AM
I have many of the same concerns that Mike expressed, and I appreciate the fact that he submitted them to the message board.
I had already heard that the Pocahontas Area Community School Board will meet on February 13 to discuss the fate of the Rolfe gymnasium and other sections of the east wing of the school. Tonight, when I checked City of Rolfe web site, I saw the agenda for the school board meeting. It will convene at 7 pm, presumably at the central school site in Pocahontas. The discussion regarding the Rolfe school facilities is the last item and is listed as a “public hearing for offer to purchase Rolfe property east of tracks.” That portion of the meeting will include: “review of procedure, public comment for or against sale of property, request for slow moving auction, close bidding after last bid is made.” Then the regular board meeting will resume. Joseph Kramer is the superintendent of schools. His address is 202 1st Avenue SW, Pocahontas, Iowa, 50574. His work phone number is 712-335-4311. His fax is 712-335-4206. He also has an email address jkramer@pocahontas.k12.ia.us.
I am also aware of the meeting that Mike attended on Sunday night and that the group selected three representatives to meet with the Rolfe City Council. They include Barb Wagner Bennett, Geri Smith Sandvig, and Bill Winkleblack. All are Rolfe alumni and active in the community — some with key leadership roles (past and current) in the Rolfe Betterment Incorporated (RBI) organization. Then today, the Rolfe City Council held a meeting with relatively short notice. We could not find the agenda on the Rolfe web site, and it is understandable that the minutes are not yet available. Apparently, the meeting had to do with the playground equipment at the school but also touched on the fate of the gym and connected facilities. However, it is my impression that Barb, Geri, and Bill are waiting to have a key meeting (with plenty of advance notice) with the council prior to the school board hearing on February 13. I also understand from talking with Greg Kaiser that RBI held a meeting tonight to discuss options for the east wing of the school.
It’s hard to understand all the issues, but here is what seems to be going on. It sounds like many Rolfe people did not realize that the PAC school board might choose to sell or even demolish the east wing. A Rolfe man by the name of Shane Braby has offered $500 to the school board to buy the facility.
Rolfe people are concerned about a variety of things. One is that the school site is in the middle of a residential zone, and they want the community to have control over how the property might be used. Some Rolfe people are also concerned about what might happen if a business or individual buys the site then defaults, and the town eventually has to pay the cost of razing the buildings to the tune of several thousand dollars. There are also concerns about what it will cost to install a heating system for the school and do maintenance such a replacing the roof of the gym if and when that is necessary. And many people don’t want the buildings to stand empty and become an eyesore as has happened in many towns. BUT many people seem to think there should be a way to save the buildings for community good — if for nothing else, a place to walk and play basketball in the winter. BUT another factor is that the school board apparently has already offered to give the school site and buildings to the town of Rolfe, but the city council turned down the offer. On one hand, that decision is understandable if the council was worried about having to pay for demolition sometime in the future in contrast to the school paying for the demolition now with insurance and school district money. On the other hand, it seems short-sighted for the council to turn down the offer without a little more open communication with the townspeople about what might be done with the east wing. Some people want to meet with the city council soon to talk the council into reconsidering.
Apparently, the school district can give the property to another governmental body for a minimal amount of money and little red tape. But if the school already made the offer to give the property to the town of Rolfe and was turned down, it remains to be seen what will happen.
For sure, it seems that there needs to be at least one full-blown discussion at a council meeting with plenty of advance (and broad) posting of the agenda and to have that meeting with a cushion of time prior to the school board hearing so that the Rolfe leaders can get their ducks in order. It does seem that there are Rolfe people interested in supporting some organization, perhaps RBI, to receive the property from the town — if the town opts to obtain it from the school, and the school says, “yes, Rolfe, you can take ownership of the place.”
I certainly don’t know what the right answer is regarding the fate of the gym and rest of the east wing of the school. Heck, I live 100 miles from Rolfe and am only tangentially aware of the issues. But two things seem clear. One, the lines of communication have gotten muddled. Two, there has not been sufficient public discourse at public meetings about the fate of the east wing to generate wholesome, viable ideas and a plan of action for the Rolfe community to preserve the place.
The prospect that the east wing would be demolished or sold to a private person for a token amount of money caught many Rolfe people by surprise. Some community leaders are springing into action — at least with conversations about how to work together to approach the council and school board. We hope their actions are not too late. We also hope that they will use this message board to keep Rolfe alumni and other Rolfe loyalists up to date on what is happening so that they can get involved in the creating and pulling off a plan.
Enough said. It’s late at night and time for a snack and then to hit the sack.