In January of 2000, a group of Islesboro residents formed a nonprofit organization to create an island Community Center. Over 140 volunteers worked to make this plan a reality by establishing goals, surveying townspeople, promoting community events and looking for a building. Richard Gilder, an island summer resident, donated his up-island barn and property for the purpose (WWF March, 2002). However, after consultants looked the barn over and gave renovation estimates that were very high, the barn was deemed too expensive to renovate.
This was a blow to the Community Center Committee, but after regrouping, the group continued to develop programs and events such as Mardi Gras night and a Willy Kelly Band dance with success.
Out of the recent reorganization of the Community Center project has come “The Zone,” an Islesboro youth center whose goal is to provide healthy, fun and educational programs for island young people at low or no cost to young participants. The Zone is located in Evan Schmidt’s building next door to the Dark Harbor Shop. Its first event was a Halloween Open House and, and except for weather related closings The Zone has been open every weekend since. Friday nights alternate between “middle school kids only” and “high school kids only” and Saturday night hours are 7 to 10 p.m. for middle school kids, 8 to 11 p.m. for high school kids.
This year the youth center has offered holiday cookie baking, dinner and movie programs, karaoke night, a New Year’s Eve open house, coffeehouse events, jam sessions, knitting classes, piano and guitar lessons, sewing workshops with the sewing circle ladies, birdhouse building, and Ukrainian egg painting as well as other events. Said Mary Hauprich, speaking for the youth center committee, “we couldn’t have made it through this winter without the incredible support of our island neighbors, friends and benefactors. From donating a gallon of paint, to teaching woodworking workshops, to hanging out with teenagers on Friday and Saturday nights – we’re grateful to everyone who has made the difficult start-up period not only work, but thrive.”
The Community Center Committee raises funds from a variety of sources and continues to write grant proposals and plan fundraising events so it can establish an endowment for future programs. “The Community Center Without Walls” – the current operating philosophy – has been given land by the Boardman family adjacent to the Beacon Project property on which to build an “official” future community center.
There has always been a gathering place for islanders, as remembered by longtime resident Ruth Hartley in a current article she wrote, titled “The Wave,” which appeared in the Spring 2004, issue of the Community Center newsletter. Beginning in the 1930s that place was the Community Hall, now Michael Reid’s woodworking shop. Ruth remembers that in its early days, it was the heart of the island and all social activity was held there.
“The community sense then was that we islanders were a bay-bound family, and our troubles and joys were our neighbors’ troubles and joys,” she writes. It was an intimate closeness that made everyone feel responsible for the other members of the family.”
It is this closeness and caring that motivate the members of the Community Center Committee to continue striving to achieve their goals.