New gym floor brings a shine to Meyersdale Community Center

MEYERSDALE ― Work on the Meyersdale Community Center's gym is in progress and is expected to be done soon.All American Athletics LLC has been working since the beginning of May making repairs, sanding and finishing the gym floor.

AAA has done Salisbury, Rockwood and Meyersdale school gyms, said Meyersdale Council member Tom Smith in an email. Fundraising efforts over the past five years raised $38,000 for the gym upgrade project, he said. The quote from AAA was for $18,000, procured through COSTARS.

"It's a group that is certified by the state to have the lowest bids so it didn't need advertised or bidded out," Smith said. "Jeff Christner started the fundraising five years ago."

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He said when he came into office, he questioned how much was donated and how much was the estimate because there was some confusion as to what needed to be done.

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"They were looking at a full floor replacement that was/is not necessary," Christner said.

"The community center gym is the heart of our community for many reasons. It was used for gym class once when it was used as a school, then it became a place for volleyball tournaments, dances, baseball, softball and basketball practices and vendor fairs, birthday parties and home of the Lions Club pancakes and sausage for the Pennsylvania Maple Festival," said Jeff Christner in an email.

"In 2018, I noticed the gym floor had need for improvement, so I asked the borough council if I could raise funds to have the gym floor redone to look great again for our youth and the visitors and the community of Meyersdale," he said. "They gave me the go-ahead and now over five years later, the work is getting done. Thanks to all that donated and helped to make this possible."

As part of the project, the gym floor will be refinished, loose boards repaired and replaced and dead spots fixed. The rest of the money will go toward lighting, new basketball backstops, basketballs, restriping the floor and a portable net for volleyball. The walls will also be repainted.

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Smith said the borough is asking for painting help from prison inmates, and the borough is looking for donations to supply the paint.

Repairs greatly needed

Karen Gnagey, Kevin Yoder and Smith are working on getting a grant for the Meyersdale Community Center rehabilitation, Smith said.

The grant is being applied for through Aspire a grant writing service.

"It's in need of repairs – windows, walls, floors, electrical, lighting upgrades," Smith said.

Student help

Smith said earlier this month, Meyersdale Area High School tech ed students volunteered to spread fresh mulch donated by Banshee Industries, Meyersdale, on the playground with the help of the borough maintenance department's Brion Reiber.

"It's a nice thing to see young people contributing to their community," Smith said. "I'm also working on replacing the borough's street signs. Some are missing and unreadable."

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The street signs are coming from National Highway Products, a company out of Millville, New Jersey, Smith said. It is also a member of the COSTAR group.

"Which saves a lot of time and money on our part. We don't have to advertise for bids," Smith said.

He said the borough is also applying for a grant to reinforce the flood control running through the center of Meyersdale.

"I'm excited about things that can be done to improve our community with the help of our community," Smith said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Meyersdale Community Center receives refurbished gym floor