Illinois Valley News

The Selma Community Center“s “Rainbow Room,“ outfitted for child-care activities. (Photo by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News)

Hallway walls of the former Selma Elementary School are lined with class photos from years past, as a reminder of the role the facility once served in the community.

Budget woes and a need for upgrades forced the school“s closure in 2000, at which point it became the Selma Community Center (SCC). But like many businesses and organizations, SCC is at a crossroads of sorts, struggling to stay afloat amid a national recession.

To prompt more usage of the facility, containing 10,000-square-feet of space, Jim Tehan, SCC Board of Directors president, said that he is talking to representatives of other nonprofit groups in the area.

“We have to find a method to reach out to the community,“ Tehan said. “The center really is open to everybody in the valley. It“s not limited to the people in Selma.“

Income from renting some of the rooms used to pay for two-thirds of operating expenses, like utility bills and insurance, Tehan said. But rental income has dropped, and that is straining SCC“s bottom line.

“That“s a big hurt,“ Tehan said.

SCC currently charges $10.50 per hour to rent one room. That cost does not cover utility usage.

Tehan said that he also would like to see more usage of the center gymnasium, which seats 500 people and has a stage.

Part of the problem, he noted, is that Cave Junction residents don“t want to drive to Selma, and neither do Grants Pass residents.

During the past few years, the center has hosted a Farmers Market, but he said that is now on hold due to the lack of a manager.

There are some upsides, though. Tehan said that a Bible study class soon will return to SCC, and dog training classes being held there are “working out extremely well.“ SCC“s kitchen is used by entrepreneurs hoping to start up their businesses, and the dining room recently was remodeled.

A grant for a new heater was received last year, added the president, and the building is heated more efficiently as a result.

In July, a reunion will be held at SCC for the teachers and students who once roamed the hallways. Tehan said that he would like to turn it into an annual Valley Community Day to pick up where the discontinued Blackberry Festival left off after nearly 30 years.

Also tentatively scheduled for October at SCC is an acorn festival. Basket weaving classes are set to start in November, and Tehan said that he has talked with representatives of the Community Media & Education Center about hosting some of its events at the facility.

Grants are being examined as a way to bring more cash to SCC coffers. A 2003 grant funded the purchase and installation of solar panels, but Tehan said that they do not generate enough electricity to supply the building power needs.

Tehan said that small wind generators could help make up the difference, and might be worth pursuing.

“There“s a lot of wind that comes up here in the afternoons,“ he said.

A grant also has been submitted to the Four Way Foundation to fund shelves for the lending library, the leader said. He added that SCC is seeking grant researchers and writers.

For more information, phone SCC at 541-415-1000 or Tehan at 541-597-2455.

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