Community jewel shines brighter
After 10 years, Little River gets windfall

Shawana Thorne looked as if she'd discovered a whole new world Saturday as she peered inside the new children's playroom at the Little River Community Complex.

With her 5-year-old son, Timothy, in tow, Thorne marveled at the new wooden play stations loaded with toy dinosaurs, trains and blocks. She smiled and began exploring, then headed next door to get Timothy, a kindergarten student at the nearby Little River Elementary School, signed up for after-school help. Although she lives just a couple of miles away and knew the center had lots of resources, she was amazed at what she saw Saturday.

"I am going to be a part of this place," the 30-year-old hairdresser declared.

The future looks brighter at the northern Durham community center, which hit financial hard times earlier this year.

On Saturday, U.S. Rep. David Price, D-N.C., brought an oversized check representing a first-time federal grant of $119,500 to renovate the center's cafeteria and kitchen, which plays host to family reunions, Thursday night bluegrass jamborees and charity programs such as Meals on Wheels.

The organization also marked its 10-year anniversary Saturday and held a grand reopening for its Family Resource Center, which has been moved into a newly renovated building at the old public school complex-turned-community center.

The federal grant is a critical injection of cash that came after many backers of the organization argued for more government support. The center, they said, provides services that governments should be providing anyway in a community that is sorely lacking in parks, recreation and educational programs.

"The story is an inspiring one," Price said before announcing the federal money, which came from a discretionary grant program called the Economic Development Initiative within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. "I think it is a model [center]."

The center encompasses the formerly all-black Little River High School off Roxboro Road in Bahama, a 39-acre campus of school buildings and athletic facilities. Like the community around it, its clientele is diverse, with whites, blacks and Latinos well-represented among its users and leaders.

In the early 1990s, the county had decided to tear the buildings down. But the community rallied to save the school and convert it into a community center. The County Commissioners gave the property to the group in 1993, but with the condition that it not come to the county for operations funding.

Over the years, the nonprofit that runs the center has kept to that agreement while expanding its offerings, hosting children's activities, athletic events, a senior center, tutoring, after-school care and more. A charter school leases the main classroom building.

Along with donations and program revenues, the organization gets much of its funding through the federal Smart Start program. But after funding cuts last year, its reserves were low and the organization was considering cuts to programs and staff.

Officials said that after a January Herald-Sun story highlighted the problems, the community again rallied behind the center. Individuals, churches and other groups pulled together to organize fundraisers and to donate money and volunteer work. Also, the County Commissioners approved their first allocation to the center: $12,000 for roof repairs.

Commissioners Becky Heron and Ellen Reckhow, who were on hand Saturday, said they view capital maintenance requests differently from operations requests and were proud that the organization had remained self-sufficient and independent, with widespread community support.

"This is the kind of spirit that is out here in this community, and that has made this center what it is," Heron said, noting that the organization had overcome serious obstacles such as replacing a roof, fixing an old heating system and cleaning up a flooded gym floor.

Board members and staffers made it clear that the difficulties aren't over. Most importantly, they said, they face a constant battle to keep up maintenance on the aging buildings.

But on Saturday, they beamed with pride as dozens of families strolled through the complex, riding ponies, whacking piñatas, getting their faces painted and eating barbecue and cake.

"Growing up, we were taught to value our heritage and our history, and this was the only African-American school in our area," said Hallie Mangum Bass, an original board member who attended the former school. "I met my husband here. I didn't know he was going to be my husband at the time, but he was."

Thorne, whose son Timothy left with a bag of candy from a crushed piñata, said she would return often.

"I'm trying to get a little help because I work so much," she said. "This will be great."