WINDSOR
Town leaders and residents got to work on Monday scraping away old chipped paint, washing walls and spackling ceilings in the future Windsor Community Center. The volunteers were there for the first of two days in renovating the old gymnasium of the former middle school on Route 258.

In the old girls locker room, for example, school board member Julia Perkins and lifetime Windsor resident Helen Hill could be seen using scrapers for the paint on door frames and floors. In the gymnasium, Al Bergeron and Morgan Boone, both of Keurig Green Mountain Coffee, lent their muscle power to preparing the walls. In a classroom, Sharon Clayton applied Spackle to ceiling tiles whilst her son, Callum Dale, 5, was cheerfully vacuuming the floor.

Throughout other parts of the building, Councilwoman Patty Flemming, Town Manager Michael Stallings, Planning and Zoning Administrator Dennis Carney and Bentley Richardson and his wife, Mayor Carita Richardson, were also busy with sponges, scrapers and other tools for the jobs at hand.

Windsor Woman’s Club members Brenda Stephenson and Mary Lee Willis were inside as well. Earlier, they and other club members, such as Cathy Funk and Marie Stephenson, had already planted flowers and shrubbery in front of the entrance.

Stored in the former boys locker room are ceramic molds that were donated by a man in Newport News. The mayor said these will be stored elsewhere for use in future arts and crafts projects; there’s also room for a kiln.

She added that Boy Scouts in Troop 17 were “a huge help in the monumental task of moving them over from Newport News.”

Heating and air conditioning are the next big ticket items, Richardson said, but money must first be raised to buy and install them.

Speaking of funds, if residents, social or civic groups or businesses want to make any contributions, call her at 242-6606, or the town treasurer Christy Jernigan at 242-4288.

The labor on Monday was the first of two scheduled volunteer workdays intended to get the building in shape for residents. The second takes place on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or whenever the work is finished.

Speaking with her on Tuesday about the results from Monday, Richardson said she was quite pleased.

“Everything went really, really well. It’s looking much better,” she said. “We accomplished quite a bit.”

The plan for this weekend is to do mostly painting since many areas have already been started with primer.

Residents are invited to participate. Brushes and paint will be available; just wear old clothes.

Lunch will be provided to anyone who can come and help.