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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-11-10, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1999. PAGE 7. Community pulls hall from brink of closure Heart of the community Walton Hall now bustles with activity almost five years after . the community feared it would have to be closed. done. After an evening of discussion a group of residents volunteered to act as an executive to look after mainte­ nance. clean-up and bookings. Many more volunteered to be available when help was needed. “The operation of the board is very casual.” said Lee. “We each take a couple of months to look after the hall. There is a large enough group the workload is small.” Community involvement is evi­ dent here. Of the 100 or so locals, 20 have volunteered to help at the hall. Judy Lee takes bookings and Barb - Durrell cleans the building. Though the group tried to stay away from fundraising events for the first year, they soon learned the hall upkeep was too much. Dances, card parties and community suppers have been big successes. A recent beef By Janice Becker Citizen staff It was almost five years ago that Walton residents feared they would lose their community hall. Operated at the time by a dwin­ dling and aging Women's Institute, it was become more difficult for the group to maintain the building. However, five years later, the hall is filled with activity throughout the year and the heart of this small com­ munity has shone through. Head of the loosely-associated volunteer board since its inception in 1995, Chris Lee has helped oversee the resurrection of this community focal point. When there was concern the build­ ing would be closed, removed or tom down, a community meeting was held to determine what could be Clubs, crafts and cards The Huron County 4-H Chinchilla Club is just one of the many clubs and organizations which regularly use Walton Hall for their activities. Craft and bake sales as well as euchre parties are included on the list of frequent functions. Good turnout for turkey Despite the stormy weather last Wednesday, a great crowd of hungry people braved the storm to attend the turkey supper at Duff s United. Rev, Charles Swan came all the way from Toronto to attend and a few came from Kitchener as well. Next Saturday and Sunday will be the Christmas home tours. Tickets are still available for this event but are going fast. If you need tickets call Maxine Houston or Barb Durrell. supper raised over $600. One of the main factors in the suc­ cess of the hall was one simple sign, says Lee. By posting "RENT ME” . people knew the hall was available and soon found out who to call. Lee says the fact that it was so noticeable to vehicles at the stop sign by Walton Inn certainly helped. With public awareness came diversified uses for the hall. It is now host to the chinchilla club show and sale, numerous bake and craft sales, business meetings and seminars, family reunions, birthday and anniversary parties, exercise classes, training sessions on plumbing, gas lines and gun handling as well as weddings and receptions. Because of the more intimate space of Walton Hall - it can seat 60 Moving to the beat Exercise classes are a big draw for Walton Hall as was this aerob-athon held a few years ago as a fundraiser for Childfind. WaltonThe news from Compiled by Patty Banks Phone 887-6156 Gillises greet at Duff’s Pat and John Gillis were greeters at Duff s United Church on Nov. 7. The congregation welcomed Joan Golden from Monkton as the guest speaker. She greeted everyone and opened the service with the Call to Worship. For her children’s story she asked the children what Remembrance Day is all about. They told her it was about remembering all the people who went to war and died. She asked them if only one person fought for our freedom? The answer was that it took a whole bunch of people. Just like in Jesus’ day. He did not spread the good news by himself. People have to work together to spread the news. She then called up six volunteers and handed each one a bell. Then she had each child ring a bell as she pointed to them and they played Jesus Loves Me. It took all the for cards, 70 to 80 for a meal or 100 for a dance - it suits some occasions where larger area facilities would not work, he said. The success is also thanks to the people in the community who talked it up. said Lee. “We really enjoy using it so we talk about it.” The hail now boasts more than 60 bookings a year with Christmas gatherings being the most popular. “December is booked twice every weekend," he said. The caretakers of the hall also have something to look forward to in the near future. “The WI owned the building but not the land around it,” said Lee. Landowners Bill and Marjorie Humphries have made an offer to transfer the land to the hall board so children, not just one, to successfully play the song. In her sermon she talked about Nov. 11 and asked if anyone ever wondered what the world would be like right now if the war had not been won. She said to reflect on the past to appreciate our present. Her grandfather fought in WWI and she remembers questioning him about the war. He would always reply, “Just pray that you or any of your loved ones will never have to see, feel or smell a war.” She remembers her aunt going to check the list that was posted downtown of all those shot and killed. She felt relief and joy when none of her men were on it and then guilt as her neighbour sobbed beside her. In Thessalonians Paul reassures the people there is hope and life in God. Reassurance should influence all in everyday choices. the land the building sits on will finally be owned with it. The parking lot will also be included in the deal. Happy that things are going well five years later, Lee points out that they are “always not far from having it not work. There is a fine line between going forward and going backward.” However, he credits a group of people with a strong sense of com­ munity for keeping it going. "It is the focal point of the community. It is more than a structure.” “For me, the hall represents the best of a bygone era. It is reminiscent of a time when you could get every­ thing you needed in Walton, in the 1960s, when the railroad was still going. It is a hold-over from another time.” School news The Walton kindergarten class drew self-portraits and decorated the frames for the portraits with coloured macaroni and glitter. Working with the letter I the children made initials. They were very excited when the new water table was brought in this week. The SAC committee purchased the table with part of the funds raised this year. The Grade l/2s have begun a science unit on movement. They have tested in stations the movements of bounce, spin and roll. They explored how various kinds of balls bounce in water and on different surfaces. They created their own spinners. They solved a roller derby challenge to make five encyclopedias move across the classroom using only 10 pencils and a piece of string. The Grade 3/4 class had a presentation on Peace. It was given by Lesley Walker-Fitzpatrick from the Foundation for Enriching Education. She read legends and stories about war and peace. The children role-played many scenes depicting war and peace. The strong message was learning to solve conflict through compromis­ ing, communicating, co-operating and respecting each other.