From Dream to Reality

 

"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."  Kurt Vonnegut

    Wheels and gears have begun turning for the building of a community center for Fremont County residents and the Fremont County School District. Jeff Gold, who heads up the group working to get this built, hopes to break ground this coming fall in the field just north of South Fremont High School in St. Anthony if everything goes as planned.

    "While it's not necessarily a need for free and appropriate public education, it is something that definitely be used once we have the facility in place," Fremont County School Superintendent Byron Stutzman said. "It would be a great asset."

    The center would include multi-use flooring and could be used for running, walking, soccer, baseball, football, air rifles and archery activities with drop down nets to separate the different activities happening at the same time. 

    "We currently don't have indoor gym space for our kids to just be able to use," Gold said in a county meeting. "School sports have different needs than city and county functions and this building could support all those different needs."

    In addition to school sports and activities and community events the center could also be used for 4H and the sheriff's office as well as the 5C detention kids to get out and exercise sometimes. 

    Sheriff Len Humphries said his officers could use the facilities indoor track during the winter months.

    "Currently when we need a place to run in the winter we go down to BYU Idaho," Humphries said. "I am sure there are lots of things that could take place there."

     Gold asked if the county would be willing to help by donating equipment and resources as well as road base material.    

    County Commissioner Jordan Stoddard said the road and bridge crew was already busy with other projects.

    "I don't see the county investing in the kinds of things they are asking for," Stoddard said. "They talk about those yards of materials they call in-kind but someone has to pay for it."

    In addition, Stoddard brought up the location of the building as another possible issue for county residents.

    "When we're talking about everybody in the community giving to this what about the people in Ashton and Island Park," Stoddard said. 

    St Anthony city councilman Rick Hill disagreed with Stoddard. 

    "The county serves everyone in the community, and we need everyone in the community to work together or this project won't work," Hill said. "To say Ashton or Island Park won't benefit from this isn't fair because the county has paid money to projects in Ashton and Island Park that I don't feel we directly benefit from either. We work together to make things work."

    Gold said when choosing the location of the building several factors were looked at including where the majority of residents live and majority of students attend school. He also stated having the school agree to provide oversight and janitorial services was a huge factor as well. 

    "I live outside of Parker," Gold said. "For me Parker would be the ideal location. However I know that would not be as beneficial to the majority of Fremont County residents...Even though my family, along with many others will have to drive to the facility to use it we all choose to live in this area for the benefits a small community provides and accept the sacrifices we also make to live in this wonderful area."

    One of the biggest issues over the decades since talk and planning began for the center has been who would maintain the building but since the school has agreed to do so Hill felt this was a huge leap forward. 

    "While this has been little more than a pipe dream of residents for over 20 years we have recently come together as a community to move forward with this dream and try to make it a reality," Gold said.

     Many different sources could help fund the building including grants, donations from organizations and groups as well as personal donations and in kind work. The current plan is for the community to build it for $5 million. The school district will provide the ground and maintenance of the building

 "Financing is by far our biggest hurdle but we believe it is doable and we will succeed," Gold said. 
    Gold said there will be a website up in the near future for donations and information and updates on how the project is progressing.