Meadow Vista Community Center gets started - with cement

The long-awaited Meadow Vista Community Center visibly took shape Tuesday as workers poured about 100 cubic yards of cement for the center's foundation. The center is being built at the Meadow Vista Park, near the corner of Meadow Vista and Placer Hills roads."Pouring the foundation is quite a giant step," said Erv Morgenthal, Meadow Vista Community Center Inc. chairman this week. "That's the first major step other than breaking ground."The community center project was on hiatus in the late 1970s through the 1980s due to a lack of support, Morgenthal said.How to HelpTo become involved in the new Meadow Vista Community Center, you can buy $50 bricks at Mountain Mike's and Meadow Vista's True Value Hardware store, donate labor and attend meetings twice a month at 6 p.m. Thursdays at Faith Lutheran Church off Combie Road.Meadow Vista Community Center Inc. board members are Erv Morgenthal, chairman; Bruce Broadwell, corresponding secretary; Celia Broadwell; Brenda Starbird, recording secretary; and Gil Jaramillo, treasurer.For more information, call Morgenthal at 878-7977 or the Broadwells at 878-2272."It was re-energized in 1990 with new board members. This board has worked hard especially for the last five years. It's been a real struggle," Morgenthal said. "We had a lot of down days because of fund-raising, engineering concerns and county restrictions." The board's work should be evident, Morgenthal said, when the concrete base is up in two weeks and the shell is constructed by winter. When completed, the 7,300-square-foot community center will feature a kitchen, three meeting spaces, youth room, permanent stage and dance floor. The center, which will have an occupancy rate of 250, will be rented on a sliding fee to residents, nonprofit organizations and businesses. Before the center's interior can be finished, however, another $600,000 is needed. The board raised about $450,000 during the past five years, Morgenthal said, and "that money is being depleted quite quickly." Last week, the Placer County Parks and Recreation Department allocated $19,725 for irrigation, trees and labor. The community center site is on Auburn Area Recreation and Park District property. With the cement foundation now in place, Alain Grenier, Auburn Area Recreation and Park District administrator, believes residents will help bring in the needed funds."They can see the progress going forward. It's exciting to see the shell being constructed this fall. Now that they see this is a reality, the community will get behind this project," Grenier said.Chevreaux Aggregates and Chevreaux Concrete donated Tuesday's concrete and gravel, valued up to $10,000."Funding from the community is the main thing we need. We're selling $50 bricks to be placed in walkways," Morgenthal stressed. "We're also looking for anyone who wants to help with interior - plasterers, painters, general handy type people to help offset costs."